Time heals All
by TiffaChan
Summary: It's 22 years after Asura's defeat. All seems well, but lately, every day becomes a growing struggle for Soul to fight an unknown force that drives him further into madness. Just how much can he take before he becomes a risk to his friends and his only daughter? Furthermore, can Shibusen recover from the damage it may cost to the stability Death had achieved? Please Review!
1. Chapter 1 Sweet Sixteen

Chapter 1: Sweet Sixteen

December 5, 2018

Within the white hallway stood Soul and Maka. Clean marbleized tiles lined the seemingly endless halls constructed of confusing ninety degree twists and turns, making it easy for one to get lost. More noticeable, though was the awe in the couple's eyes that were overwhelming, as though the world had come to complete peace. Everyone knew it would arrive to this at some point, but the shock still had not yet settled. Even Soul himself would have never previously thought it as "cool" but now that it had happened, a new light in life had been shown to him, changing his attitude by a fracture. As the couple gazed through the crystal clean window by themselves within those white halls, they smiled at the thought of what they had introduced into the world.

Maka leaned her head into Soul's shoulder. "What should we name her?" she said, never breaking the gaze through those clear panels. A daughter, of all expectations in life! It was a surprise that they had not prepared for this step earlier. They had never intended for the addition to their home, but she was here, and she needed a meaningful name.

Soul's white hair remained shaggy yet from having just woken up. This was what he had stayed up all night for, and not but a few minutes sleep had he received, it seemed! The worry was simply too overbearing. He had no response to Maka's question, also lost in finding a suitable answer.

A sad expression was abruptly mixed into the joy the two had shared so strongly. "You know… I really wish Chrona could have been here to see her… " Maka commented. A slight chuckle found itself cheering her back up, however. "I can imagine what she might be doing… still hiding away, peeping up occasionally from intimidation, but deep down inside, I know she would still be smiling… "

Suddenly, Soul perked up with a suspicious smirk on his face. Maka grew very confused by this change of attitude. It was as though a light bulb had lit in his head and he knew it was right. "I have an idea… why don't you name her after Chrona? Certainly that's something that would keep a smile on her face! Chrona was very important to you, after all…"

"Right!" Maka seemed to react very well to this suggestion, and with a quick optimistic nod, rising back up with a grin. "Chrona lives on in my heart… so maybe… maybe that's why we were giving this opportunity!" She turned to look back to their newborn daughter. "Chrona... Chrona Evans... it's perfect!" After the great moment of revelation, she let out a long yawn as she wrapped her arms back around Soul, closing her eyes for a brief second. Their loose and slightly crooked pajamas indicated that they had not yet gained enough rest to bounce back to their energetic selves.

Soul took note of the exhaustion, despite how much she tried to hide it from him. "Maka… please get some sleep." Soul stroked her cheek, trying to express as much concern as she could note from it, aside from his suggestion. "I'm sure the nurses have everything under control. Don't worry about it, okay? Chrona is just fine." He glanced back through the window with another warm, but calm smile, and began to lead the new mother back to her room, remaining by her side for reassurance.

Current Date: December 5, 2034

Semi-long white hair peeked out from underneath a pink blanket covered in white skulls patterned after Death himself. It was 5:30 am and a particular somebody was determined to have a good day- of which included a descent night of rest finally. Suddenly the wrenching sound of a buzzing alarm burst the quiet air. A hand popped out of the blanket, slamming the only button atop it that would stop the dreadful interruption. "Already? Ugh…." An irritated teenager rose up unwillingly, her white hair falling just below her shoulders. "I thought I set it for….. " she muttered, turning to squint at the large print numbers. She sighed in disappointment. "_Great_…. I forgot to change it…."

Giving in to the fact that she had already woken, the girl decided it was pointless to go back to sleep at all for the day. She relentlessly rolled herself out of bed, accidently falling off the side, as the blanket wrapped around her. "Jeez… look at me… I can't even get up right. What a day to start off my birthday…." She tugged the twisted blanket off, which had wrapped itself around her, shuffling her bare feet across the carpeted bedroom floor so flat, one could generate electricity. Upon reaching the small bathroom within her own bedroom confinement, she stopped in front of the oval mirror. Turning to gaze at herself, she grabbed a moist rag, rubbing it over her face. "May as well grab my shower." The first step of the day was to simply wake up.

Down stairs, her father could already be found awake, showered, and dressed. He was entirely too used to the routine by now. Only, today was different. He would not be reporting to Death. On any given normal day, his job remained in Shibusen, monitoring for anything unusual and remaining close by and available should anything be of threat. Instead, there were errands to finish if this party was going to work out well. Fourty minutes had now already passed as he paused and gazed up at the notice of the thuds from the ceiling leading from the girl's bedroom towards the stair top, proof that his daughter had initially awoke. A slight smile came over his face. Knowing she was well was the only thing that seemed to put his mind at ease lately. The morning had to continue, however, because breakfast still didn't make itself, even in the years of advancement that one might think had gone by.

Today's first meal would consist of scrambled eggs seasoned with salt, microwaved bacon, and a refreshing glass of orange juice. Soul went into deep thought as he cooked. '_She always liked a simple beginning every now and then….'_ Though he continued for her sake, not to mention that it saved on money, his passion for cooking seemed to grow less and less as days went by. Soul gazed back at the stair case, only to find his daughter floating towards the kitchen counter, engulfed in the scent of the food.

"Deeeelliiicccouuusssss!" she spurted out, quickly swiping a fresh slice of bacon early to inhale it as though she had not eaten in a week. "Did you sleep well, Daddy?" she added, after seeing that neither her first greeting about food nor taking an early partaking in it did not enthuse him as she had wished.

Compelled to at least answer, he replied "Just the usual. Of course, seeing you only makes it better. Happy birthday!" He finished preparing the servings onto two plates, sliding one onto the bar side of the kitchen, where his daughter stood, beaming at the thought of this special day.

"So, about my party… I don't want any of those irritating boys there! You know, the ones that keep begging for my attention?" She immediately began to stuff the breakfast down, even talking in the middle her chewing. "Than- godne- you er ther- ta sto-" She paused her speech, noticing the look she was receiving from her father. His gaze sent a message of instruction that she should finish her bite of food first. "Oh, righ-!" The teenager finished chewing her food with a large gulp, leaving her plate with nothing but crumbs. "Anyway, do I still have to go to schoo-"

Soul immediately stopped her in her tracks. "Yes, you do, Chrona. Its school and a party, or no school and no party." He would not deny spoiling her, but letting her get by with being irresponsible with out of the question. "Now go on and get ready. It's almost time." As she ran back up the stair way, he looked back down at his own plate, still unsure if he were truly hungry. '_She would have insisted that I finish it…_' With a large sigh, he finally resolved to eat the breakfast. "Will it ever feel better?" Soul asked himself in a discerning voice.

Ten minutes now remained till the first class of the day officially started. Chrona stood at her usual hang out, now attired in her plaided red skirt, solid black vest, and clean white short sleeved button down shirt. Upon her feet were traditional, black square toed uniform shoes, exposing the knee-height white socks. Her hair was in her typical spikey fashioned pony tail, leaving ear-length spike style bangs. Chrona was well the image of her own father, a twin almost. The only obvious differences were only the lavender color in her eyes and the missing foot of height. It seemed nearly impossible for anyone to look at the two and not relate them.

After a long minute of impatient waiting, Chrona glanced over quickly to a group of students. Jumping up, while waving her arms together wildly in the air, she shouted in glee. "Hey guys! I'm over here!" Nothing made her happier on school grounds than the opportunity to socialize. "So, guess what today is…" A mischievous smile spread upon her face.

"You really think I would forget? You've reminded us every day for the past two weeks." This was her partner speaking. His name was Kale Simmons. Kale stood well taller than Chrona, barely edging over six foot. His attire was very casual, as usual, containing mostly of a geek type of printed t-shirt, loose blue jeans with a chain running from the front belt loop to the back pocket, and tennis shoes. Glasses adorned his face, which usually gave him a dork appearance. His wrists were always covered in black, fingerless gloves, but this was to help protect his hands from developing calyces when handling Chrona's weapon form. He did, after all, carry a good sense of hygiene and care. "Here…" Kale handed her a small package wrapped in colorful paper.

Chrona's eyes lit up upon his presentation. "I knew you'd have something for me!"  
She commented, with a laughter of happiness following.

"Actually, it's from all of us!" another voice stated. Another lively girl popped out from behind Kale, her pink hair bouncing around and a grin on her face. "Kale here is just too shy to say much, as usual…." This comment only made Kale blush more than he already was. "How long have you two been partners, and you still have trouble talking, eh?" Her name was Mina. She always gave off a bold personality, but sometimes it was necessary. Her shorts were almost short enough to expose should she bend over, and her shirts never had any sleeves.

Beside Mina was her weapon partner, Jade. Jade was quite opposite in appearance. Her long blonde hair never ceased to remain in two long pig tails that reached just below her shoulder blades. She remained quite conservative when she dressed, as well as carried the same composure to match.

Suddenly was the ring of a bell, indicating that they were expected to be in class. Chrona did not jump so quickly in alarm, however. She shot a mischievous glance towards Kale, who returned a look of disapproval. It was her birthday after all, why couldn't she skip just one class? "Ugh… Chrona, really?" he asked, trying his best to pursuade her to behave for once.

"What? I've been good all month, so don't you think I think I deserve something for my good behavior on this day of all?" Nothing was going to change her mind, not even her own partner. Her father wasn't there to find out this time, and nobody would risk the chance of telling him. They knew all too well what would happen if they did, even the new students. Stories of pranks, revenge and intimidation constantly circulated.

"Fine…. but next time I'm not covering for you, okay?" Kale sighed in disappointment in himself for giving in to her begging look. He despised breaking rules, but could do nothing to stop her today. "See you in the next class then, and happy birthday." With this line, he bolted off to catch up with the others.

Chrona smiled, shouting a thank you, but was too late for her partner to hear it. She glanced down at the present, curious about what it contained. '_I knew it! A book… I wonder which era it is about this time?_' She may have been a physical clone of her dad, but there was one thing she received from her mom, and that was a love to read. Not just any book was sufficient enough, though. Her particular interest lied within historical topics. The stories of past crusades, discoveries and development never ceased to amaze her. '_One day I want be a part of history_!' With this last thought, she zoomed away from the campus halls to find a peaceful spot to engulf herself in the new book.

Soul had finally pushed himself to leave the quiet house. Chrona was safe in school now, so the next task at hand was to buy all the preparations for her special day. Invitations were already sent out, so there was no need in reminding each guest of their expectations to show up. This was her sweet sixteen, after all. What reason would anybody have to miss an occasion this large? Well, there was one, but it was an issue he had merely been attempting to force out of his thoughts. He threw on his jacket, of which much resembled the black one he had so often worn before, only, it was not so much as plain, but decored in strategically placed buttons and a hidden zipper that could be used to keep the wind out. On a normal given day, he might have worn simple black pants with it, but today he insisted to go out in a more casual attire, a pair of blue jeans and a white printed t-shirt made to advertise Shibusen itself.

As he arrived to the Death City market, the first store of his picking was a dainty restaurant that served a wide variety of foods from egg rolls to grilled chicken strips. Soul stepped in through the doors, a small bell going off as he entered the building, of which was filled with the scent of good cooking. There were many small round tables set to seat two to four guests. It was rather empty, though, with the exception of a few, considering that today was one of their slower days. Somebody came out immediately to greet him, holding a white moist towel in his hands, of which he used to wash them clean, and a grin from ear to ear, expressing the happiness that another customer had walked in! "Why, hello Soul! Glad to see you make it! You're rather early, eh?"

"Right… I see its slow again…" Soul commented back, glancing around at the dining area. "So, I know you've done a lot for me already, but I need to add something to my order."

The burly cook, wrapped in a white apron topped off with a small white hat, of which both had been dinged from his daily duty at the shop, pulled out an order pad. He rummaged through each carbon copy until he had found Soul's order. "Hmm… lets see…. Evans…. Evans…. Here it is!" The man pulled a pen out of his pocket, ready to write the addition. "And what is it that you would like to add on to your fancy party selection?"

"Well, Chrona has requested calamari…."

Suddenly, a familiar red-headed figure popped up behind Soul. The lines he spoke alone gave away his identity. "Aaaahhh nothing but the best for my Chrona! Chhrrroonnnnaaaaaaa!" This was, of course, Spirit, her grandfather speaking. He cared no less for Chrona as he did for Maka. "And what irony! This was just the thing that Maka may have asked for! You know she really got her passions from her mother!" Spirit danced around till he found himself in front of Soul, putting some spare cash into Soul's hand. "Consider it from me… and by the way, try not to let it get to you, okay? Ten years is a small amount of time to pass, but you've gotta still enjoy it somehow! How else do you think I deal with it?"

"Uhh… thanks? … really, it's okay, though" Soul answered, with a hint of hesitation. The two may not have spoken so much before, but the years of building the relationship, along with the existence of the sixteen year old herself built a secret care from Spirit towards Soul. There could have been no other for his precious daughter. Simply the fact that Soul had not gone hunting for another to fill the gap, something that Spirit himself had failed in, only earned that much more respect towards the single father. Just as he turned to return the money, Spirit had already fluttered off to fulfill what would be failed attempts to woo the close by women younger than he. Soul could do nothing more than shake his head and accept what he was given.

Authors Notes:

I do not own or claim the Soul Eater series or characters Soul, Maka, or Spirit.


	2. Chapter 2 Uninvited Guests

Chapter 2: Uninvited Guests

Death's room was filled. Friends and family of the birthday girl seemed to fill every inch of the Shinigami's old apartment. Among them were namely Marie, Kid, Patty, Liz, Kale, Mina and Jade. The only true reason that the residence had not been given up before Kid's ascendance to the Shinigami's title was because he himself did not want to forget his own past. Banners hung about each corner of the large room with small groups of two and three balloons in various colors tied in between each rise.

Just at the right back corner was a table with many fancy hot snacks and foods, including sushi rolls, won tons, and a large tray of cracker assortments accompanied by cheese, ham and turkey, and more. Beside it was also several pre-made quantity disposable cups filled with a home-made fruit punch, complimentary of Marie. Last, but not least was a large, single layer cake that showed a detailed printed decoration of the number "16".

"Geez, Chrona is late, isn't she?" commented Mina. She always posed to be the impatient one of the clique. However, in this case, everyone could agree that it was not like Chrona to arrive in such a fashionably late style, much less for her own party, even. Mina's black punk-style top complimented her tight blue jeans that she hoped would draw attention, even though she planned on simply turning every interested pursuer down. The attention alone was sufficient enough.

Jade, on the other hand, preferred to carry on a whole different appearance. Her elegant slender figure fit perfectly in her elegant top and small skirt. "Oh, don't worry; I'm sure there's a perfectly good reason."

Kale nodded in agreement. The silent one seemed to speak in nothing but body language. Sometimes everyone wondered if he even knew how to speak in public. Dressed in his usual attire, he rose his hands up to indicate to the girls that he would return shortly. He was off to the table to get a drink.

"Heh, you wanna make a bet on how many words he will say tonight?" A snicker fell upon Mina's face. The girls shifted their eyes back to Kale, who was taking his sweet time to balance three cups of punch.

"Are you serious? I bet he will leave early, even. Knowing him, the only reason he's here now is because Chrona begged him. Sometimes I don't understand his lack of social skills…"

Laughter came upon the two. Just then Soul presented himself in front of the two plotting girls. "I see you are enjoying yourselves already! I just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to show up. I promise I'll stay out of your hair tonight!"

Mina and Jade returned a warm gesture back. "No problem, Mr. Evans!" they responded simultaneously, trying to return a respectful greeting. An embarrassed and hesitant impression came over his face.

"I'm not that old already, am I?" He threw a hand behind his head, not sure of what to think of the comment. "Eh… really, just call me Soul-San."

"Sorry Mr. E- I mean… Soul-San. Anyways, where is Chrona?" Jade felt awkward asking, but something had to satisfy the curiosity that filled their minds.

Suddenly, several people scattered from one side as there was a crash through the wall. Kid stopped and stood in front of it, petrified, his mouth froze in a dropped expression. "M-m-my w-wall….! The perfect symmetry, ruined! Whatever will I do now!" His obsessive reaction to it was over seen, as he frantically began to scramble up the rubble in a futile effort to put it all back in its place.

"Heh, what's the big deal? It's just a wall. Anyway, a party's not a party without Black Star around! If it weren't for a birthday, I'd be the main star around here now! Hahahahaha!" Black star gloated, standing back up in a rather confident position, his fists at his hips and his head held high. The lone clan member had not lost a bit of his pride or energy, and still rather loved dressing in his ninja-clan attire. It was as if he had just graduated from Shibusen himself and fashionably shown up to his own celebration party.

Soul brought himself to the scene, but not in such an upset manner as Kid. "Well, Black Star, making a grand entrance as usual?" He smiled, knowing that his best friend wouldn't miss the day. Shaking his head, he continued. "Kid, you're never going to give up your obsession with symmetry are you, even as an official Shinigami?" he asked, humored by his reaction. Of course, it should have been expected.

Black Star burst out in his obnoxious voice "What kind of Shinigami would he be if he didn't? A boring one! You just keep freaking out, Kid… I'm going to check out what the DJ is playing!"

"Before you go, do you know where my daughter happens to be at right now?" Soul asked in concern before Black Star departed from the two.

"Ha, like I know right now? Wait… Maka? No, it can't be…." Black Star squinted toward the apartment entrance. Soul couldn't help but to shift his attention quickly, too, even if the possibility of Maka showing up was impossible. "Yup! You need not worry, buddy! The party star finally arrived! Well, that is, besides myself! You guys can stand around all you want. Only losers stand around doing nothing!" With this, Black Star departed from his two friends to join the excitement of the crowd.

Soul could not believe his eyes. He had seen his daughter nearly every day for sixteen years, but today was different. As Chrona walked in, memories flooded into his head. She was wearing the same dress that Maka had worn so long ago to the Shibusen ball. The purple colored dress held up by two spaghetti straps, complimented with a choker of the same shade, still remained in a great condition yet. "Daddy! Over here! Look what I found!" She leaped with joy to where he was standing, still in an optimistic shock of her discovery. "Well, you can stop staring now! What do you think? I found it while looking through Mom's old clothes!" Chrona giggled in glee. She felt as though she had found a pot of gold!

"Wow…" Soul nearly found himself breathless. "It… fits you perfectly!" A true joy from his heart couldn't help but bring a smile to his face, for this, he knew _she_ would have been very happy about. "It couldn't look any better on anybody else, Chrona." This was reassuring that her time was not in vain.

"Oh! Daddy! Where's Mina and Ka- oh! Never mind! I found them! Thanks dad!" Chrona gave Soul a quick hug and ran off into the crowd. She always was a quite energetic one, but he was thankful for that. Somebody had to break the silence. Soul sighed in hesitant, but none the less pleasant disbelief. The finding had touched a piece of his heart that he had tried to ignore for so long, so a fresh breath to relax was for call.

Outside proved to be a well spot to wind down from the excitement. The night air was refreshing and listening to the lone sound of crickets chirping was soothing. However, there was a rustling near about. He definitely was not alone. His attention quickly turned ahead of him, where there was clear movement. An unrecognized figure was approaching. This put Soul into defensive mode. However, as the figure came closer, he began to settle down.

"Hiii!" a positive and familiar voice rang in the night air. The unexpected guest stopped in front of him, panting from exhaustion. "I'm sorry I… hah… Oh! How rude of me! Ah… can I join you?" A smile beamed from her face. Her double-layered dress, which revealed a white flowing skirt underneath a black vest, was topped with an odd, but recognizable design of yellow and black swirled eyes and a swirled tongue sticking out of the mouth below them. Neither had her hair changed, remaining as a brunette shoulder length bob with short bangs that complimented her hazel eyes.

"Angela! How have you been?" Much time had passed since they each departed to their own worlds. Times had been peaceful, but that had not changed the fact that witches preferred to remain in their own world. This should only be natural, however, as it was the place where each received their proper training and teachings, or rather new teachings, at that. "Better yet… come have a seat!"

Angela nodded pleasantly in acceptance. The two walked back into the building, making their way to the snack table, where each grabbed a cup of punch, and found an available seat nearby. "To peace!" the witch said. "There's been close to two decades of agreement now. It seems that the peace treaty Kid made went well, even if it did have its rough edges time to time! He has proven to make an excellent Shinigami, after all!"

Both looked toward the snack table containing the individually made cups of punch. Here, Kid could now be found arranging the cups so every number of rows and columns were even and straight. Nothing was straight enough to satisfy his severe case of obsessive symmetry. Even now, his lines of Sanzu remained completely wrapped so neither side was uneven again. This was what proved that he had ascended, on top of that.

"Agreed. We're thankful for the opportunity to work with you at last. It's safe to say there haven't been many pursuits of violence nor need to continue creating Death Scythes, either." This was a conversation he could participate in semi-intellectually without looking like an idiot for too long since he had been there for the events. In fact, it was an honor just to be speaking as a Death Scythe, since not many existed after the war that brought about the successful attempts for cooperation. The only remaining Death Scythes now were Soul, Spirit, Azusa and Marie. "So, I have to ask… how do the other witches handle it?"

"Well, to be honest, not as bad as it could have been. Some refuse to speak of it, and give a foul look when the subject is brought up. Otherwise most are very happy just to not be hunted anymore! I'd say it pays off very well in the end, but that's just my personal opinion." Angela took a sip of punch and gave an assuring smile in response. "So, this could be a touchy subject, but… about Maka…"

Just before she could finish, Soul cut her off abruptly. This was a subject he well preferred to ignore, despite how important she was to him. "Don't worry about it…." His smile shook off slightly. Soul could not hide the uneasiness completely. It has been fourteen years since the incident. "I'd rather not go into the ordeal. It's…. bothersome, still. At any rate, I'm thankful to still have Chrona, at least…" His gaze shifted back to Chrona, who was having a rather good time dancing with Mina and Jade. As usual, it was up to her to pull Kale into the slightest sociable spirit. She was only two at the time, yet she still seemed to grow up into a happy individual. This made Soul laugh for a bit, despite the reminder of the fateful events. However, just as he had turned back, Angela was gone. He spotted her just at the door, her flimsy black hat nearly falling off as she had to catch it.

"So sorry! I really have to go! I completely forgot about my duties back at home! Oh, and, tell Chrona happy birthday for me!" Off with those last words, she zoomed out the exit. She was never known for formal entries or exits. Despite, it was nice just knowing she had grown up witnessing the good virtues between the two parties.

"That girl…. I'm glad the sway never got to her." With this, Soul gulped down the small last bit of his punch. A sour look came upon his face almost immediately. The last bit did not taste as he had expected it to. He muttered to himself for a moment in confusion. "…must not have been mixed well…" Standing up, he gave a shout out to the Shinigami. "Kid, I'm shocked! Your serving perfection has at last found a flaw!"

A panicked look came upon Kid's face, which only brought the much needed laughter to Soul's spirit after the rekindling conversation. "What! I did it perfectly! Six cups of fruit punch… One cup of… wait…. This is not symmetrical at all! Twelve cups of fruit punch… two cups of carbonated water… It's useless! What horrible, disgusting mixture!"

Soul laughed at the scene. Two more familiar figures approached him at the table. "Ah, do I see a smile? This kind of miracle calls for a celebration! Let's dance!" Pattie's short blonde hair flipped into Soul's eyes as she shouted within less than a foot's range in his face with glee. She grabbed his hands and dragged him quickly to the floor.

Liz followed just behind him to push him along. "It's a party, Soul! Get out there and have some fun for once!" The sisters were more than ecstatic for the opportunity to do something other than teach. Their fates turned them into Shibusen instructors. It wasn't something that they minded, but their thoughts were always churning on finding something fun to do when duty did not call, and this was the perfect opportunity!

The music was that of dance and techno. It wasn't his favorite, but he couldn't help but find himself dancing to the beat a bit. Perhaps this was because it reminded him of Maka, with her odd taste in entertainment, aside from reading, or the fact that Liz and Patty's energy was becoming contagious.

"See, it's not that hard to enjoy yourself! You just gotta get out more!" Liz continued to encourage him.

Moments later, the thought of Maka came into his head. His memories fell back to the Shibusen Ball, just before Asura had been reawakened. '_If only I had danced with her then!_ ' Soul Smiled at the thought, but shook it off quickly. '_No, I have to think about my own daughter! She's the one I'm here for…_ _I've missed out on too much to do nothing now!_' Suddenly, his head began to swim in a fit of dizziness as he quickly grabbed onto Liz' shoulder to regain balance.

"Can't handle the action, eh? You can't be that tired already!" Liz responded "Yoo hoo! Soul?" She sighed in disappointment. "Okay then, maybe you could go sit down for a minute… but you better come back!" Both sisters stopped their commotion, walking with him back to the table he was dragged from as they spoke.

"Don't…. don't worry… I'm sure it's just a bit of exhaustion. It's been…. a long day." Soul cracked a slight smile towards them, letting the girls know he would be fine. "It's okay, go ahead and keep dancing. I'll join you again in a moment."

"Okay, but don't take too long!" replied Patty in a continued optimistic voice. With this, the sisters jumped back into the crowd. This was an event they couldn't resist to enjoy.

Still on actively on the floor, too, was Chrona, equally as energetic as the Thompson sisters. She was distracted by a tap on her shoulder, however. Behind her stood yet another boy who would not give up on trying to win her heart. She did not recall inviting him, however. "How did you…"

"I followed you! I haven't forgotten what you said, either. 'Don't be foolish!' Ha! I won't give up. In fact… I have a challenge for you instead…" His brunette shaggy hair was never combed, nor did he bother to dress past throwing a Shibusen t-shirt and casual blue jeans. Sloan was his name, and he had his eyes on her since he first met her.

Chrona wasn't sure how to respond to this other than averting a confused look to her friends and shifting it back to him. "A challenge? Seriously?" She paused a moment, and burst out into a loud laughter. "And what kind of challenge were you thinking about? And what's the prize?" A smile of confidence came about her face, of which nearly guaranteed agreement. There was rarely a challenge she couldn't say yes to, but this struck her curiosity.

"The challenge…. is a fight!" Everybody nearby gasped. "Right here, right now! If I win, you have to go on a date with me! If you win… I'll…." He stopped for a moment, observing the skeptical look she was patiently shooting back. "If you win, I'll leave you alone… for a year!"

A heavy sigh was heard from her in dis belief of the method he was attempting. "Fine… but I'm in a dress? I think you owe me a _small_ handicap? And NO trying to look up my dress!" She shot her hand out, waiting for agreement on the terms.

"It's a deal! Heh, I can win you over like this any day I want! And no weapon forms, either! " He gripped her hand in return with a single, hard shake, and backed up, stancing himself for the minor battle. His look was one of confidence, as was Chrona's. The crowd around them circled around the duo, excitement reflecting in their eyes as the adrenalin pumped in anxiety of who would come out on top. Their question was, would she finally have to accept a date proposal?

"Fine, I don't need my weapon form to defeat you anyway! Ahahahaha!" Chrona stanced herself as well, pausing to remember that this was her mother's dress she wore. With this thought in mind, she decided to roll the skirt up just high enough so she could fight without tearing it. Just then, the boy came roaring at her with a full fist forward. She managed to catch it quickly, barely stopping it from swiping the side of her face.

The crowd was roaring with excitement as they cheered on. With this, the boy continued his aggressive attack with another fist coming in through the other side. He was quicker than Chrona had anticipated. The sixteen year old barely managed to duck under while still holding his right hand, but soon followed with an upper cut with her right hand right into his stomach. He backed up, holding his stomach in pain. "Oh, so we're playing hard ball now, huh? I was being easy on you, but its game on! Prepare to lose!" he bragged, a confident smile on his face.

Chrona dusted her dress lightly, or what bit of it wasn't rolled up. She could tell she was receiving an undressing look from him. The fact that she wasn't afraid to fight him only encouraged him even more. Of course, bravery is what she was known for. There was nothing she was afraid to do, even if it put her into Death's office, where she was prepared to receive her scolding. What reputation he would earn just for going out with the daughter of one of the few famous Death Scythes, Soul Eater Evans, at that! Quickly were combinations of left and right jabs. She continued to dodge what she could, an occasional blow landing.

She returned his attacks with a successful leg sweep, knocking him down to the ground, where she twisted him into a tight hold, nearly flashing her own underwear, though that was the least of her concern.

At that moment, just at the dining tables, Marie, who had just barely noticed the disruption. She jutted to the table where Soul still remained, his head lain down on his crossed arms. "Soul! Are you paying attention?" Soul only mumbled in an uncomprehendable manner. He was well unaware and completely off focus to the events that were occurring. "Fine… If you can't do it, I'll just have to stop it myself!" Marie stormed angrily through the crowd circling the biggest entertainment of the night. She stepped into the middle of the fight, grabbing each opponent by their arms, separating them so they could no longer reach each other, despite that they continued to swing their arms wildly in effort.

"Stop it, you two! This is no place or time to be conducting this sort of business! Now, I would like to know what happened here." She let the two parties go. Her age certainly did not reflect any loss of strength or passion. They dropped to the ground, rubbing their cheeks with a look of disgust. Neither party budged even an inch to explain. Marie sighed in disappointment, knowing she did not have the mind to discipline the birthday girl at her own party. "You're lucky your father hasn't seen this, young lady!"

The boy was rather roughed up. Chrona was not an easy one to fight. She was not one to pick her battles by merely tugging hair and scratching faces. He stood, still, dusting off his own clothes. "One day, I'm going to get a rematch! You'll see!" He shot a quick wink. At this point, Marie had no idea what was going on. She was just happy to see the scuffle end as he jutted from the grand apartment.

"Well then, now that that's over, I don't want to see another minute of violence here!" The death scythe stopped her speech, leaving the scene toward the table where Soul still remained. '_That's strange… he's usually always there when things like this happen…_' She finally reached the table, tapping Soul's shoulder gently. With this, he popped his head up quickly, mumbling incoherently like that of a drunk. "You're obviously exhausted, Soul… go home, okay? We've got it from here." She smiled pleasantly, obviously happy to help. '_Maybe I better not tell him about Chrona's little fight after all…_'

"Are you…" His sentence was interrupted by a yawn. "Geez, I'm sorry about this, Marie…. Are you sure it's okay? I want to be here for Chr-"

"You're always there for her. I'm sure she understands!"

'_Gee, I really shouldn't. What kind of father would I be to…. but…._' Soul's head dropped on the table, in a losing fight to stay alert. The thud of the solid wood brought him back up, though, as he rubbed his forehead.

"Now go home before I beat you into it, okay?" With this last command, Soul at last stood from his seat, dragging his feet until he reached the exit. "Liz? Patty? One of you please drive this tired man home!" Marie dropped Soul's set of keys, of which she had secretly picked from his pocket in his dazed state, into Liz' hand.

"Thanks for asking, Marie…" Liz replied in a mundane tone. "You're coming with me, too, Patty!" She grabbed her sister, who tried to resist, and dragged her to the door for company. The three reluctantly left the party. After all, the crowd wasn't too much for Marie to handle, and convincing her otherwise was pointless.


	3. Chapter 3 Once in a Life Time

Chapter 3: Once in a Lifetime

**3:00 am**

Soul could see her well. Was this really happening? Maka had returned, and had nothing but rejoice and care to give back. Her red plaid skirt waved about in wind at the open door as she stood, simply awaiting for his long lost hold. He quickly began to run towards her in glee, but as he did, the air drew about darkness. The closer he arrived, the less he could make out of her beyond an outlined figure. Still, her voice was recognizable. "I'm home, Soul…" she said, luring him in closer for a moment of long desired compassion.

"Maka!" Tears shed from his eyes. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, what he was experiencing. It seemed an impossible request, but here she was, right in front of him. Just as he finally reached where she stood, he threw his arms out to embrace her. In that split second, a flash came before his eyes, and the silhouette quickly turned into dust. Fire abruptly surrounded him within their very own home, leaving no place for safety but to remain standing where he was. The happiness he felt from her appearance faded away and turned into that of panic. Soul felt only the despair of the thought that the pleasant image he had seen before was nothing more than a mirage.

He quickly sat up from his bed, panting in horror and throwing the blanket to the side so quick they landed nearly on the floor. His breath was taken from him by that imagery that reminded him. "Of course…." Disappointment filled his voice as beads of sweat dropped down his face. "Just a dream…." He rubbed his face into his now clammy hands, sighing. "Get a grip of yourself, Soul… it's over and done with." The past always found a way to haunt him in some way, but it had been years since the memory found itself into his dreams as well.

He lied back down and gripped his pillow as if it were a companion. '_Why does the bed still feel so empty again so suddenly? I should be used to this by now_.' Soul had become restless now. There was no longer any reason to even try to fall asleep again; else it would only come back.

'~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

"Do we have a volunteer, anyone?" the teacher asked. The plain, white button up shirt and plain black pants did not help the monotone appeal in his voice. "Mina, what about you? Let's hear sections 3-5 on page 259." The bore of the history class could not get any worse than this. Everyone wished that they could simply fall asleep and wake when it was over, except for Chrona.

Mina gave a deep sigh of disapproval. '_Why always me? Do I look like I want to read_?' Her expression showed her deep dislike of attempting to bury herself in any book. However, something brought a smile to her, and it wasn't a good one. "What about Kale. He never talks, anyway." He immediately shot an upset look her way at the notion she had just made.

"Good idea. Kale, sections 3-5, please." Even in the shift of the volunteering and giggles among the students, the flat voice's pitch still had no change.

"Fine…." He sighed heavily and began the speech. It was just as boring as teacher giving the commands. In the meantime, next to him, Chrona was becoming quite excited, but not about his speech. The days' lecture was information she already knew from her own voluntary research. She jotted down a few messy words quickly on a small piece of blank paper from her notebook, tore it out, and proceeded to fold it. Kale raised his brow and concluded the final sentence of the assigned undesired reading. As the teacher turned to face toward the board, Chrona slid the paper in front of him.

"_Well, read it!_" she whispered, quickly turning to face forward again, faking any focus on the class material so they wouldn't be noticed. Anticipation filled her spirit as his eyes grazed over the note, squinting over it twice to make sure he had interpreted the hand writing properly. "_Look, just meet me at my locker after class, okay?_" Both their eyes were lit, one with joy, the other in shock.

"Do I have to make you read again?" The teacher's attention was suddenly back at them once more. He may have been quite monotone, but in the lack of volume and pitch, he heard quite well that they began to mingle among each other. After a long pause of silence, the teacher continued. "Now quiet down. You can chit chat after class." With that warning, he resumed his teaching.

"Yes, sir…." The two quieted down in a strict manner rather immediately once again. They were also being watched by two other sets of eyes, Mina's and Jade's. Their expressions clearly showed they knew it was certainly something of interest. Kale's attention didn't distract easily to petty things, so his reaction alone was proof that Chrona hit something good.

At last the bell rung. Chrona packed up her school book quick as she could, and ran into the hallway to her locker. Here, she pulled out a crumpled piece of paper in a manner so nobody else would see it. "Kale! Over here!" Her partner hastily made his way to her. She quickly opened a crumpled piece of paper. On it read "Student Assignment Availability: Rogue Witch. Requirements: 99 Kishin Souls already acquired. Please report to Death for approval." Her meister gasped at the flyer. Chrona quickly balled it back up, stuffing it in her pocket.

Though there were good terms between the witches and Shibusen, a rebellious rogue could be spotted on a rare occasion. It was these, and these alone that received the right to be attacked upon the witch council's approval. This was the proof that they had, indeed, been confirmed as outcasts and exiles for abandoning the policies of peace enough to brew trouble even in their own world. Vengeance would not be sought on the loss since few ever exemplified these intentions. Even at that, the limitation was set to only one Death Scythe per continent. Once this number was accomplished, all rogues were to be handled by the witch council alone.

"It was on the board this morning! I've been watching it every day before others arrived. I'll be darned if I miss an opportunity like this after all our hard work! I'm going to do it! I will become a Death Scythe like my dad!" Chrona exclaimed in determination. Kale was normally very cautious in accepting instant decisions, but this one was different. He started imagining what the the feeling of knowing he had created a Death Scythe would be like, smiling at the intense request. They had already acquired the 99 kishin souls they needed, so a rare opportunity like this simply could not be passed up. Once Chrona's mind was set, it could not be changed. The two then felt eyes watching them. They quickly turned around, yet nobody unusual was seen beyond the crowd of fellow students that were beginning to fill the hallway.

It was lunch time for a majority of the staff, while students were busy dining in the cafeteria. On the contrary, their tables were large, round and roomy. A television sat in the corner, where some had crowded every day in attempt to catch their favorite shows in the middle of their work shift. At another table was Soul's regular group. Liz, Patty, Black Star, Tsubaki and himself mingled on a regular basis when they could since each was often preoccupied with their own jobs otherwise. Liz and Patty taught courses from open to close. Black Star became a personal trainer for students who wanted to further their physical fitness. Tsubaki sat at the front desk of the school office, using her skills of politeness. Soul volunteered to remain as a hall monitor, making sure the days at the institution went without any suspicious activity, as well as to keep himself available for moments that Kid just might need him in a battle.

"So, I heard there was quite the party last night." Tsubaki's voice had never lost the touch of care. "Black Star told me all about it!" She chuckled a bit, remembering the events that had occurred in Soul's absence. It seemed that he had missed quite a commotion.

"Heh, yeah… Though Black Star might know more about it than I. Honestly, I, uh…" Soul blushed in embarrassment of his early departure, which he considered inexcusable, especially on the day of his own daughter's birthday. "…I can't really remember much about it right now." He turned his gaze away slightly, ready to hear the words of disapproval.

"Figures! You passed out in the middle of it! Is everything okay? You didn't take any medicine or anything before the party did you?" Liz asked. "I mean, it's totally not like you to do that." She stuffed her mouth with a large bite of rice almost too big to chew at once.

"No, no! … It's just been a few rough days, that's all… heh, its funny, last night I..." He paused a moment, wondering if he should even bring it up. '_Am I kidding? A dream isn't that important_.' Soul noticed the group staring at him, awaiting the finish of his sentence. "I… slept pretty well. I guess that's what happens when you plan a sweet sixteen party on a busy schedule, huh?" The lie wrenched his stomach a bit, but talking about it was out of the question, as he faked a faint smile.

"Geez, I'm glad I don't have any kids, then! I, Black Star, don't give in to mushy stuff like that!" Black Star's comment made Tsubaki laugh. There was a few that joked about the two being perfect for each other, but their feelings, even to this day, had never crossed like that. The two partners were still merely friends. Most thought that his mind set still had not aged enough to handle half the responsibilities that even just one child meant.

"It's okay, Soul. As long as you are alright now, then so are we! You should be careful more often, and try to get more rest!" Tsubaki added to change the topic. She had a high disregard for all her friends' emotions, and feared that her partner's comments might go somewhere it didn't need to go.

In that instant, Kid made his way to the table they sat. "Pardon me for intruding, but Soul, I need you for a moment." This immediate mention grabbed Soul's attention, putting a puzzled look on his face. What was so important that Kid didn't begin with casual conversation? "Remember the rogue witch we confirmed? It seems your daughter is trying to follow your path."

The news caught Soul by surprise. "She's not too powerful for Chrona, is she?" It certainly wasn't his intention to lose his daughter if he could help it, since these sort of quests were dramatically different from the ones she was used to. The concern for her safety was obvious, as seen in his immediate motion to stand from his seat in preparation.

"Remember, Soul, this is her decision, not yours. Remember when you decided to go that route? We put our faith in you two, and it went just fine. Just keep believing in her, alright?" Kid hoped these words would sooth Soul's worries, but they were not quite as effective as he had thought. "I just thought you might like to join me while I watch."

Soul nodded, cleaning his spot at the table as swift as possible, despite that he had no finished his lunch. He was worried, but he refused to be a slob, nor miss another big moment in her life. Just before he exited the room, Liz shouted to him "Good luck, Soul! I know she can do it! She has the strength of her mother, after all!"

The battle had almost begun. "Here it is…. The home of Liv, the panther witch!" whispered Chrona. Stories were told about a black blur that passed so quickly, that sometimes even members of the witch's council had difficulty keeping up. It wasn't until now that she was finally caught and exiled from her own home world for attempting to create rebellious rallies among the streets. Such an action was one that encouraged war. The witches enjoyed the silence and safety from young weapons desiring to become death scythes to risk that sort of life again. Though they were just as capable of catching their own kind again, they had simply grown tired of dealing with it. It was with their permission that Kid was allowed to send a student.

"We made it this far, we can't quit now." Kale gripped the rolled chain tightly, his fingerless black gloves protecting his hands from the metal. Chrona's weapon form didn't appear effective, nor did Kale give off the image of a warrior himself, but the two had become quite skilled in giving their opponents a surprise. Her chain was long enough to latch on an enemy within an eight foot range and at each end contained a solid steel nun chuck handle with one each end sharp like a pencil.

"I can smell you two out there… and it's rather distasteful." The door to the cozy home creaked open slowly. The house appeared to be quite a normal one and was secluded in a forest area. If a tree had fallen, nobody would hear it. She stepped out in a refusal to hide and began to, casually, but gracefully stroll towards the two. "Well, are you going to attack me or not, students of Shibusen?"

"Kale….. Do something…." Chrona exclaimed, attempting to reinsert the same motivation and bravery he had before. "I can't fight her on my own, you know!" In a quick few seconds, they found the witch standing elegantly in front of the two, in close range enough to attack. This was something they had never attempted before, however. Doubts ran through their minds. This opponent was much more different than any other they had faced. She was much more powerful, and gave off an aura of a controlled evil much deeper than that of a kishin egg.

"Oh, you're not going to do anything? Fine…." Liv strode back to her door step, her black, sleeveless, slender silhouetted dress, the bottom flare by her ankles swaying with each step. Her hair was long, and dark enough to match what she had worn. Overall, she gave a very elegant image in a dark way. What worth would the fight be if her opponents were too scared to move? It simply wouldn't be motivating.

"I didn't come here for nothing. Panther witch, prepare to be defeated… I have come here for your soul!" Chrona bravely stood, back in her human form, pointing towards the witch with her right arm extended confidently. Kale was no longer frozen in fear, either. He, too, wanted this as much as she did, if not even just _for_ her. Chrona's call-out successfully caught Liv's attention once again.

"You look oddly familiar…." the witch replied, shifting her eyes to focus on Chrona. She closed her eyes for a second, in thought, chuckling to herself. "Oh yes, I know you now… The daughter of Death Scythe, Soul Eater Evans. I was going to walk away from your futile efforts, but this…. This is perfect! I was going to forget the whole ordeal and simply live for moments like this, but… this is an opportunity to add what my sister started!" She began to chant in a low voice. The words were spoken so quickly and in such a low voice, neither student could understand what she was casting.

'_Add to what her sister started? What is she talking about…. Enough of this, though! I have a battle to fight! We can't back down now!_' With this last thought, Chrona quickly transformed back into the bladed chain Kale was holding previously, wrapping over his gloved palms once again.

Within moments, a shield of razor sharp curved needles came racing towards them in the image of claws of a rage animal. Kale threw the chain out widely to his left, sweeping to the side while keeping a hold of a single end with his right hand as it swept across the projectiles, deflecting them away so they did not damage him. The chain whipped around behind him and he thrust his left hand across his body, catching the second end.

"That was a quick one, Kale! But we're going to have to be faster than that if we want to win!" The meister had barely dodged it, managing to receive only one scratch upon his left cheek. Suddenly the witch shot herself straight towards them. Her hand stretched outward, her nails extending like freshly sharpened curved blades twice the length of her hand itself. He was on top of the defense, however, whipping Chrona's chain around in a loop till it formed to a circle with each end extending past the circle boundary. He pulled the loop hole tight around her bladed nails just quick enough to stop them from piercing his face. Pulling each end further to tighten the loop till it became a straight stretch, he pushed her attack away, forcing some distance between the two again.

Reversing back to the offensive, Kale threw one end of the weapon at the witch, catching her arm and pulling it back so quick that the arm containing the blades tore off mid-way. One would think that this alone would put a damper in her fighting, however, her smile did not drop. Infact, she was rather amused, her eyes never ceasing to shift from her opponents.

"You're good… nun chucks with sharp chain edges? I'm impressed. " Liv shot a wide grin. Shadows formed around the torn limb end as she held it outward. Soon, the shadows created a circling mass, and it began to shrink down to the shape of an arm, her arm, in fact. "You see … I'm a fast healer." Once the shadows disappeared in an array of smoke, it appeared as though nothing had happened, as if her arm had never been removed from the beginning. The skin was scar-less and the tissue solidly attached again.

Kale stood breathless, Chrona still in weapon form. "I… I don't believe it… immortal?" Chrona asked in shock. She began to wonder how they were going to come out alive now. What trouble had she encouraged on what could be their last day of action?

"No… not immortal… Chrona…. Do you remember, in your historic vampire novels, where they regenerated missing body parts?" Kale inquired. Typically, he didn't bother to read as much as she, so for him to recall such a thing at this very moment obviously meant something useful. Furthermore, the question confused her as to what his point was arriving to.

"Yeah, where you have to chop of their- wait… now I know what you're getting to. We have to decapitate her…" Chrona's focus fell off her book and turned back to the battle.

"Right!" He rushed back towards Liv, swinging the chain in variations of loops and jerks, forcing the witch into dodging his swift continuous attacks. Perhaps with this, he could pull himself and Chrona close enough to her blind side, allowing him an open opportunity to ring it around her neck when she would least suspect it. Despite his swift attack, Liv still managed to dodge each swing around. Kale once again, caught the attacking end, stopping his pursuit to distract her. "Her speed is too much for us in this state."

Liv's figure vanished from in front of the meister and weapon as she grew even more excited in battle. Shadows flashed all around them throughout the surrounding bushes and trees, disappearing and reappearing in various spots that were too unpredictable to attack. Mischievous giggles were heard from every direction, echoing about. "Where am I now? Which one is the real me?"

Watching from Death's room, Soul fidgeted in anticipation, unable to stop himself from occasionally pacing in front of the mirror. "Are you sure this one isn't too powerful for them to handle? If the witch council was so willing to let us capture this one, then…." He was worried for her safety, in fear that he might just lose his daughter today, too.

"Certainly you don't have that little faith in my decisions, do you, soul?" Kid stayed on every movement both parties made, but showed little hesitation. "After all, she's a smart girl. Think back on your own experiences. Would you have truly felt you earned your current status if Spirit had jumped in the battle? Besides, I know the witch's council wouldn't lead our students into a trap." His voice remained confident as he expressed his faith in the circumstance as a way to comfort his friend.

Back in the wooded area, the weapon and meister team thought for a moment on how they could defeat the witch. By now, countless black blurs of motion surrounded them almost entirely.

"This is….more challenging than I thought it would be… time to get a little more serious. " The reflection in the nun chuck ends reflected Chrona's smile. Both nodded. In a jump of energy, they revved up their power, matching each other's wave lengths. "Soul Resonance!" In a simultaneous shout, their souls were now connected, allowing them to think in the same pace.

The massive number of seemingly realistic duplicates attacked at once to the center where the weapon and meister still stood in their re-energized state. With each swing of his weapon, Kale's attacks went through each copy, as they vanished. He had no choice but to attack every image that approached him. Liv's soul could be sensed in every cloned body and risking the chance of waiting for the real one to expose herself could potentially lead to their passive death.

As he swung Chrona about in attempt to eliminate who was the real Liv, the clones turned into withering shadows of dust. As the number narrowed down, the pair noticed one in particularly simply standing. That had to be the real one! In that instant, Liv knew she was discovered at last. In their distraction from the remaining clones, she ran straight for them. "It's time to die now! It's your souls I will be collecting instead! Hahaha!"

The pair could not make a move in offense. In a split second, they found the witches face so close, they could almost touch noses. Fear overcame the meister and weapon, unsure of what to do next. They could run, but Liv was simply too fast for that. Running would guarantee their death in a matter of minutes. '_I'm sorry dad… I let you down_.' Chrona thought to herself as she envisioned her memories before her eyes. "Kale, thank you for never leaving my side. I'll never forget what great partner and friend you've been."

Soul fell to his knees, speechless as he buried his head into his hands. First a majority of his colleagues, then his closest friend and lover, and now their daughter he so tenderly took the time to protect. A familiar feeling came over him. How could he have simply sat behind and let it happen? What else was there to lose after this?


	4. Chapter 4 The Vanished Knight

Running through the forest as fast as possible, the single concerned student wasn't sure if he would make it in time. If the witch managed to kill his persistent and stubborn crush, would he be able to live with himself, knowing he had let her down and lost any chance to be with her again? If her father wasn't allowed to intrude the battle ahead, then he would! Furthermore, why did she and her partner even accept the mission in the first place? Life just didn't seem to be treating him fair anymore, or so it seemed. Of course, risking his life for the one he so admired so much was quite the extreme choice, too. He finally reached to the open circle of trees to where the cozy cottage resided. The air was troubled with a terrible fate.

Just ahead were the fighters, whose fate had put into the toughest and bravest decision they could have made. Let go, give up and let his own life be slain, or use the last bit of strength he had in him to fight for his survival? Pinned against the farthest tree straight across from the house's doorstep, the witch that took haven in the isolated area was only one inch away from consuming both him and his weapon together with her enlarged mouth hovering over, drooling in desire to consume their souls. Her large teeth begged to prey on the two.

There was no time anymore. He had to do something now. Quickly running his way into the unlocked and open cottage, he found a heavy solid iron pot in a small size, likely the one the witch used to brew up her rebellious intentions. After picking it up in an effort derived from despair, he quickly ran back outside. The desperation in his soul gave him the strength once again to hurl it, hitting the black dressed witch in the head.

"How dare you! This is not your fight..._yet_!" She lunged toward her intruder. He was not prepared for the speed she had to offer in return, extracting her claws from her finger tips and swiping him to the side like a cat hunting an injured mouse. Her attacked nearly knocked him out, as he was barely aware of what had just happened. The tall boy holding the chain he fought with stood back up, panting in exhaustion as he noticed Liv's attention drawing back to them.

Chrona's mind was scrambled in confusion and panic. '_My mother didn't win by giving up… therefor I can't give up, either! Kale and I have worked too hard for this to give up! It's my goal… my dream… my only chance to become a Death Scythe! We must follow my parents' legacy!_' Pictures flashed into her mind, images of her mother, Maka. Maka's bravery was great, greater than anybody else's she knew. This is what made her parents so successful in reaching the status she strived so diligently for at such an early age. The strength it took to achieve such an honor! Chrona had already fallen behind the high standard her mother so well accomplished. Even then, she still wouldn't accept becoming a failure, especially in this moment of opportunity both she and her meister had anticipated so much.

"Kale... I have an idea… while we've been given an opportunity!" Chrona, still in weapon form, was now fired with refreshed inspiration. In the reflection of her handles, a gaze of determination to come out alive sparked once again, whether it meant becoming a Death Scythe or not.

"We haven't perfected it. We can't guarantee its success." His words came off in a sense of caution. Kale well understood what she was thinking. After all, the two were still resonated. Performing this technique in progress would either make them or break them. He was just as well scared and worried as she was about what they had brought themselves into.

"I don't care… It's all or nothing!" All Kale could do was nod in response. It was better than giving up, and if it meant a chance of survival, then the technique could save them.

Kale whipped Chrona's chain around. The two combined all the energy they had left. "Motion Control!" Kale exclaimed. While in resonation, this was her unique ability as a chain scythe, when performed correctly. Even when done right, they only had five seconds to perform in this mode, else they would be caught mid-way in their attack, making them more vulnerable than they already were. The duo felt their will to live drive their strength to a level higher than it had ever been.

Suddenly, their vision of time's speed changed. Now Kale could see every tenth of each second that passed. The witches face grew closer and closer from the attack that she had started. In comparison, she still remained faster than they could have ever been from the beginning before they exhausted their energy. She had already managed to get close again in the time it took for them to merely start their move. He twisted around her side, observing every detail of the shreds in her dress, which shifted from the once elegant appeal into a sultry one. While they had the advantage of time in their hands, Chrona's weapon form was now slung around the witch's neck, whom was unaware of the slowed effect.

The five seconds of the slowed rate ended quickly, and just as time fell back into its normal speed, the witch's head was sliced off in midst of the continuance of her vicious attack to consume them. Her body dropped to the ground immediately, vanishing into the air, leaving a single floating soul in its place.

Chrona immediately transformed back into her human form. She ran to where the boy, who had interrupted their fight, saving their lives, was slung to, only to find nothing but open grass. Gazing around at the now empty spot, she spotted a left behind souvanire. It was a red soft cotton wrist band with the letter "S" thickly monogrammed into it with yellow thread. She knew who's it was immediately. "Sloan?"

Her partner interrupted her moment of reflection with urgency. "Let's go. We have to report to Death now, before another catches on to us, and I don't think we can handle something like that again." Something about the witches still left Kale with an unsettling distrust, despite the years of agreement there had been by now. Gently putting his hand on her shoulder, he tugged her slightly, encouraging her to return for their safety. He disliked leaving anybody behind, but were Sloan's fate really among the witches now, only the Death Scythes had the power to save him effectively.

"Right." She walked over to the soul that floated where Liv's body previously fell, chuckling. She barely managed to contain the excitement of their success. "We really did it, Kale! I'm really going to become a Death Scythe!" Scooping the soul, she tucked it away safely, taking Kale's hand and leaping off with him a short distance into the woods, where she had parked the motorcycle her father bought her for her birthday. It was covered in thick layer of red paint glossed to perfection and etched into it on the bottom of the cover plates were several swirled patterns in silver. They fastened their helmets, Kale's a solid blue, and Chrona's a deep red with her initials engraved in yellow on the right bottom. '_Heh, this wrist band almost matches my helmet…_' The tired out team zoomed off quickly, ready to report the exciting news.

A lone woman sat just outside the Death-Bucks café, where outdoor tables were offered for those that did not want to stay inside, shortly receiving her order. Iced tea was much better in Death City. She herself gave an image of importance, class and grace, an almost appropriate display for a cafe. Every man who approached her held nothing but respect for her for her lady-like persona. Perhaps it was the elegant, but simple dress that fit her figure well, flaunting every curve without revealing unnecessary cleavage or leg. Or perhaps it was the way she spoke, with such a clear, concise and intellectual dialect.

A cloaked individual arrived close by her. Their face and body was indistinguishable within the shade of the hood to the point that it was difficult to see if they were even male or female. They silently handed a piece of paper with rough writing into her elegant hand, of which her painted nails and skin was well kept. The individual delivering the sheet remained mute, as to not expose their conversation. Both appeared emotionless, their reactions unrevealing. This sort of issue need not be expressed, or it might be considered an act of disobeying. Punishment for this was a lose-lose situation, and certainly not a pleasant one. It was either death by one hand or the other, and neither was more pleasant nor more painful as the other. The graceful woman's beautiful green eyes quickly grazed over the brief note, expressionless. It briefly read '_They gained another_.'

"Thank you…." The woman nodded back, tearing the paper into many shreds. She handed half the illegible shreds back, keeping the remainder of the scrap, ready to be thrown away elsewhere. Very little speaking was in need. Each party understood each other's messages sent through their eyes alone. Standing up, the woman abandoned the black lattice decored table, leaving behind the drink she had only halfway consumed. Finishing it had just become the last on her list of priorities.

Upon their arrival back to Shibusen, Chrona and Kale entered Death's open observation space, of which still remained surrounded in clouds to the day. Kid stood there, smiling in confidence. One more Death Scythe closer to a re-established security, as well as a great accomplishment for the young team! Soul ran to his daughter as quick as he could and hugged her tightly. "Chrona! For a moment, I was so worried I had almost lost you…" His hands atop her shoulders, he pushed her an arm lengths away. She could tell he had gone through a cycle of emotions by the chaotic, yet thankful expression in his eyes.

"Dad…. Really, it's okay! I'm still alive, aren't I?" She pulled out the witch's grey soul she and her partner had captured. If there was anything about becoming a death scythe she wouldn't enjoy, it was eating those bizarre energy forms. Chrona may have received almost every physical characteristic she could from her dad, but that was not one of them. The texture felt entirely too strange, as though an oversized worm were crawling down her throat. The very thought made her shudder.

Soul stood back again, thrusting a hand towards Kale. Kale shyly put his out, shaking Soul's to return the respect. "Congratulations, Kale, you've succeeded in creating a Death Scythe! It's a tough battle, isn't it?" All the young man could do was nod in return, unsure of what to say. His usual quiet way still shown itself, even in the midst of great achievement. He only spoke more than this when it was truly needed.

Soul turned back to his daughter, who was overfilled with energy from the event. "Listen to me, Chrona… I want you to know that becoming a Death Scythe is a privilege and honor, not a right. Whatever abilities you gain from this, you are obliged to use for the benefit and safety of Death City and Shibusen, not for bragging or picking on innocent boys, okay?" Soul was happy for her achievement, but his parental responsibility was just as important, otherwise congratulating her alone might only feed her rebellious side more.

His daughter immediately turned her head to the side, blushing while attempting to give an innocent pout. "Um, I…. it was their fault!" She could think of no other response to give and grew speechless, aware of what she was guilty of. Of course, it was no guarantee that her father's gentle, yet stern speech would completely faze her until she learned the lesson for herself the hard way. He still had to try, though.

Her father continued the moral-filled speech. "For being susceptible or weaker than you? Think I don't know about your shenanigans? I do more than walk around, now." he responded with a strict gaze in his eyes. Soul felt true to protecting his students, even if it meant holding a serious talk with even his own daughter on the issue. He couldn't help but to smile again, still, a slight chuckle under his breath. "At any rate, now that your struggle is over, it's all yours, Chrona! Welcome to the Death Scythe clan!" The team smiled in their accomplishment. '_I can't wait to hear what everybody else says about it! We did it! We beat a witch!_' Chrona thought in glee.

Black Star stood firmly in front of the Shibusen training ground. The vast field contained a great number of training devices. The students in front of him were still in their white dingy gi with belts of various colors wrapped around their waist indicating their levels of achievement. Sweat dripped down their faces after an hour of warm ups and challenging training exercises. Many of the other students were already off. Alternatively, this was the group of teenagers who strived to be in their best physical shape and ability, a majority of them meisters. The training class was not yet over for another three hours.

Shortly, Kid approached the physical fitness instructor. "I see things are going well so far!" Kid was always pleased with how Black Star trained his students, long hours with a hint of harshness. They needed these elements since nothing seemed to disturb the peace to push them otherwise. "Sorry to interrupt your class, but here." The students ahead paused, gasping in surprise that Death himself took the time to deliver one small letter. It must have been important! There was no comprehendible reaction to whatever the note had read, so their next step was to listen in, pretending that their opinion was just as important.

"Up and at em', guys! Don't you stop now just because I'm here!" The shinigami grinned at the students. None of them knew or been through the kind of ordeal his own generation had to go through. They returned to their active routine, aiding each other in rigorous exercising, attempting to shoot a spying ear towards the conversation. Kid motioned his exit from the field too early, though, for them to grab a hint of the message.

"Now, you may have heard that we have a student who is no longer with us at Shibusen! Lucky for you guys, he was one of the best among you, which gives you all a better chance of becoming number one, like me!" Even in his training sessions, Black Star held his head high with pride, not afraid to admit to his superior strength.

"Mr. Star!" a student interrupted, panting from the tiring and repetitive cycles of single-handed push-ups. "Can you tell us why? Did that note have anything to do with it?"

"It's Master, mind you! 'Mr.' makes it seem like I'm old, which I'm _not_…" The usual confident grin spread across his face. It was true that Black Star had not lost an ounce of pride. "Ahem… THAT…. is none of your business, either. All you should know is that you are to continue training… I expect a good fight out of all of you by the end of this school year!" He resumed pushing them into their nearly impossible exercise routine. There was no way he was going to let them go home without any pain! No pain, no game was his theory.

Inside the school halls, a group of students stood in a close circle among each other. "Did you hear anything about the other night?" The blonde's words struck a conversation that caught all her friends' attention. Her voice remained low, almost to a whisper, but audible enough for her friends nearby to hear.

"What are you talking about? I was at home all weekend, trying to study! You know I'm not good at this sort of test. Biology sucks!" her friend replied, sighing in disappointment of missing out on any action they could talk about. Curiosity filled her deep amber eyes hidden under her brunette hair.

"You don't know? Remember that Sloan guy?"

"You're talking about that meister in the combat class? Supposedly he's ranked number one in there!" The third friend commented. There was nothing that wasn't girly about this group. Their gossip was proof of their true natures. Perhaps they felt the need to make themselves feel better by talking about others, or maybe it was their natural feminine nature to want to know everything, even if it wasn't their business to know.

"Oh yeah, he's the one that declared to fight his crush! I don't get how that would attract anybody…. To get beat up?" The brunette gave a skeptical look, wondering how any such an action would win a woman's heart. After all, weren't guys supposed to be courteous, pulls chairs out, open doors, and give presents to their woman?

As the rumoring conversation was going, Chrona walked confidently through the school. She happily hummed a random tune, making it up as she went along, a slight strut in her stride. Finally, she reached her locker, and popped it open quickly, grabbing her text book that she would need for the first upcoming course. '_I guess nobody knows I'm a Death Scythe yet! It might be kind of fun to keep it quiet, though, come to think about it… everybody will underestimate us! Ha-ha, the look of surprise they will give when I show them! They thought I was bad before…._' Her achievement certainly didn't change her attitude about voluntarily causing chaos. In fact, it was no surprise if it had only enhanced it. Some might wonder if it was even a mistake to allow her the new title, but who could have possibly denied it from her? She stopped humming the gleeful tune, noticing the chatter going on around her. '_Wait, are they talking about… Sloan? _.'

The nearby blond continued her story as Chrona began to pay closer attention. "Well supposedly, he dropped out this morning!" The grouped girls were shocked. The boy they were speaking of had once nearly out-grappled Black Star himself. His only downfall was that he lacked the amount of experience the instructor had gained before his own existence. Still, in comparison, he had gotten much further than the remaining students in the small training class.

"That's not what I heard. I heard he was kicked out! Something about breaking a major rule? He was way too rebellious anyway… besides, he probably would have just been trouble every day, talented or not. Maybe that's why he didn't find a long lasting partner yet!" The girls laughed as they walked off, moving their conversation to downsize another innocent student.

Chrona stood in shock. '_Dropped out? Or kicked out? It can't be true… he's more stubborn than that, and he wouldn't volunteer to get expelled… unless…._' Mina and Jade walked up behind her and stood for a moment. When they realized that she was in a deep consultation with herself, Mina proceeded to tap her on the shoulder.

"Uh, Chrona? Earth to Chrona!" Chrona jumped in surprise to the call. "Geez, you mean it's actually possible to scare you?" she continued, laughing and ringing around her short pink curly hair with her finger. Her green, almost mid-drift sleeveless shirt expressed her lack of enjoyment to wear clothes, as though it was equal to marrying a demon.

"Oh! Ah…. I guess so!" Chrona threw her hand behind her head, blushing in embarrassment. If she told anybody that Sloan was with her before his disappearance, then everybody might start blaming her. It was a relief to know that she wouldn't be stalked obsessively anymore, but still lurking in her mind was the wonder as to why he would have left. Besides she wasn't inhumane. Perhaps if she had not fallen into such a weak position, he wouldn't have been forced into the situation to save her.

Jade saw what Mina had not. The two were polar opposites in personality, but Jade cared just as much for Chrona as she did for her own. Her white-haired friend was the one who often put excitement in life, set aside from Mina's escapades. "You're not yourself, Chrona. It's surprising that you're not out lurking to run into some trouble. What's up?"

The new death scythe looked back at Jade. She shrugged the issue off her mind quickly. Besides it couldn't have been that important. "Oh, nothing…" Chrona gave a smile convincing enough to shift the subject. "I've just been in enough trouble for now already… I can't let myself get expelled, you know?" Even in that case, questions continued to raise in her mind. '_Maybe it was my fault… If I hadn't been too weak to finish it on my own then! My mother was stronger than this! Mom, I promise, I'll do better than that next time._' she thought to herself. She huffed to herself, disappointed in her display of weakness. Chrona feared that it had been his interruption to cause such a decision.

At this point, it was too late, though. She had to accept what had happened. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise. Would he return only to show her in vengeance the fate she had caused him? Only time would tell. '_Sloan… you're such a stubborn idiot! I didn't mean for you to just give up and leave like that…_'

Finally, she popped her locker open quickly, where a surprise had been left for her. It was wrapped in bright red wrapping paper. On it was a note that read "Congratulations! Your hard work has paid off." Chrona smiled at the unexpected gift. She tore the wrapping with great anticipation, as it revealed a rather thick book, titled "The Great Roman Empire." Jumping in excitement, she shouted in glee "A book! How did Dad know I wanted this?" She held it tight to her chest, a wide smile on her face.


	5. Chapter 5 That Which Haunts the Mind

_**January 15, 2035**_

As Soul walked throughout the school's grand hallway, not a sound stirred. It was the beginning of the day, and this was one of the best moments, when students were stowed away in their proper classes. It was time to make the usual rounds, making sure there were no suspicious clues lying around. The days, weeks, months, and to now, years had grown quiet. Still, there was no guarantee that nothing would break out, still. This way, he also remained close by the Shinigami in the case that one was to take advantage of their lack of Death Scythe numbers in comparison to Asura's time.

Each of the remaining four, now thanks to his daughter's successful pursuit, had a right to their own personal life aside from protecting Death City, or for that matter, any location they had been assigned to. He may as well volunteer for the duty, seeing that he had nothing better he desired to do. Besides, it gave him the benefit of staying close by his daughter. The two relied on each other heavily since there were no other individuals in their house hold than themselves. It stayed like that for years by now, and he didn't care to explore beyond that, unsure of the risk that it might mean to the father-daughter relationship. Not that there were any other women that could attract him, either.

Soul's mind began to zone out, drifting onto matters that did not help his growing lack of ability to focus. His vision began to blur, giving before him thick clouds that were almost impossible to see through. Before his eyes stood an outline of a young woman, undistinguished, holding her arms forward with invitation. He held his right hand to his temple, rubbing his head. "Is this real? Who are you?" Soul stumbled forward best he could in his state of mind, nearly tripping on what were invisible blockades that took no shape or form. Of course, they did not physically exist. It was merely his exhaustion that threw the drunkard sway on his step.

He finally reached where the young woman stood, clearing out of the steamy white smoke at last. "Maka? Is it really you?" He leaped forward, wrapping his arms around her tight as he could. It was no mistake. His lover had returned! "Maka! I promise I'll never let you down again!" His eyes began to well up in tears as he could do nothing more than enjoy her presence. The scene began to reveal its facade, however. Just as he brought his head back up to gaze into her eyes, the image vanished into the once again clear air, dropping in a pile of dust, disappearing as it hit the ground. "Maka!"

His conscience awoke again, bringing him back to reality in the empty halls, his breath heavy and face built up in sweat. Soul kneeled down to rest his weight onto his knees with the palms of his hands, head hung in disappointment. "Just another illusion…"

"Is lurking about that tiring? I didn't miss something important, did I?" Kid appeared behind Soul rather quickly. His gaze was slightly humorous, with a touch of concern yet. Still, the Shinigami was unaware of the vision that Soul had just experienced. Soul merely shook his head in return. Nothing odd had happened, except for the mirage that escaped his head, of course. "If you're not well today, why don't you try relaxing for a moment?" Despite Kid's optimistic words, he couldn't help but to wonder what had Soul so exhausted.

"Right... I think I will." The death scythe stood back up, his breath finally caught back up. The mirage left him with a feeling of discomfort. He began to walk off, throwing his hand up in gesture that he would return to his duty soon. The opportunity to relax would surely bring his mind back on track. Perhaps then he could stop showing such display of weakness.

"Say, Soul, before you go, there was something I wanted to ask you." Kid knew that he wasn't completely happy. He had changed from the day he lost Maka, but lately, it had grown worse. It wasn't that having Chrona in his life wasn't enough, but rather that the hole that was burned into his heart had never healed. However, it was numb to Soul now already, until recently. Soul was lost as to what could have reactivated the chaos in his mind.

Soul stopped, turning around halfway to listen to Kid's inquiry. '_He doesn't know about my visions, does he? I can't let him know. He'll just ask me about it even further. I shut it all away a long time ago so it wouldn't hurt, and there's no reason to face it even now. All it'll do is mess things up. Chrona is all I need to live for._' He didn't care to discuss any of the past. It was already defused, and as he saw it, ignoring the subject had suited his days well enough to keep it that way.

"I want to start a music class… and I want _you_ to teach it. I can see through your fake smiles, Soul, and I want to help. Maybe a change of pace could bring your spirit back up. Your love for music would really bring enlightenment to the institution, as well as to the kids too!" Kid's smile was genuine. He had put a lot of thought into the suggestion, as well as consideration for the school, students, and Soul. Just maybe encouraging him to practice his passion regularly again could sooth him. The opportunity would even provide students with a chance to explore their imagination in the field of musical arts.

Soul sighed, trying to shrug off the feeling of obligation to the unexpected request. "I don't know… really, I'm content enough where I'm at. Besides, aside from battle, playing the piano in front of everybody isn't really my thing anymore…" He thought back to when he played for Maka. There was once a time when he actually enjoyed displaying his musical abilities for simple pleasure. Back then, it might have been worth it, but now… what was it worth anymore if she wasn't there to hear it?

"I see…" The shinigami was disappointed in the answer he had received. "At any rate, the offer is open to you anytime you like. Think about it, okay? I just want to see you and the students happy. Now go sit down a bit. Get yourself refreshed! The school will be just fine!" Soul trudged off, obeying the command, rubbing at his face a bit. Kid's eyes shifted to a look of concern as Soul disappeared around the winding corners of the hallway. '_Not his thing? He's played for us before. Why is he becoming shy on us now? _'

-o-o-o-o-

Aside from Shibusen students chasing their dreams of gaining power in collecting the souls of kishin eggs, it was a usual day at the Death Bucks café, once again. Crowds and lines of customers entered empty handed only to shortly exit with cups of their favorite refreshment blend. Few stayed to enjoy their drinks inside, considering the busy lives they held. Among the few was the same presence of elegance, whose origin nobody was brave enough to ask. Just as one would summit enough strength to stand in preparation to stride to her location, another single individual would join her, throwing off their sense of fearlessness. Each day, it was somebody different, at that.

Again, she was of few words and more admiration in her fitting black dress. Her hair remained pulled up in what appeared to be a pony tail, but the length of her dark hair allowed her to twist, flip and wrap it over so that it complimented her rich appeal. Typically, she spent hours at a time, enjoying the scene of interactions within the crowds. However, she stood early this time, just as her company had arrived. She immediately motioned for them to follow her. This wasn't the appropriate place to hold this particular discussion.

After a brief silent walk, the two finally arrived within an abandoned ally way. Here, the conversation could continue without any witnesses. "Has it awakened yet?" the lady of grace inquired.

"Not yet, my lady…" the obedient voice answered. It was obvious she received much respect from her follower. The answer changed her gaze to that of disapproval. Expectations were high, and she only the finest results.

"I expected a quicker reaction than this. Surely he received it? Or have I put my trust in the wrong hands?" The high level of demand threw the mood of the conversation into that of nervousness.

The companion nearly scrambled for a satisfying response, but managed to refrain from exposing any uncertainty, taking a hold of his own hands behind their back before they began to quiver about. "I assure you, time will work its fate."

"Perhaps we should give it an extra push then…" She scoffed a bit, uncertain on thought of the next suggestion. There was nothing else that could be done at this moment, though. "I suppose I'll just have to send _him_…"

-o-o-o-o-

Later in the day, students were packed in the cafeteria, doing their usual gossiping, complaining and joking amongst each other. In the main office, Tsubaki remained absorbed in her work, her face nearly bonded to the phone. There could be no better individual for that role. Her communication skills and impervious ability to understand anybody's situation gave the front line the best known service and reputation it could have. Never had she any qualms about conducting business that required speaking to others.

Almost dancing outside the office was Marie, who had volunteered to be the first executive to break away from her duties. Their crew required that somebody was always present. There was no predicting when a student, teacher, or parent would come up with an insane question or request that they didn't already know.

"Yes! Break time finally!" Marie exclaimed, throwing her arms high into the air, her hands in fists, as though she were celebrating a victory. To her, getting through every hour was a victory. Her positive attitude never ceased to drop, leaving everyone wondering just what had her so happy all the time. With this, she leaped off merrily to where the other staff and death scythes gathered once a day to enjoy the time among themselves.

The staff's lounge was packed. Marie glanced around, trying to find a close friend from her generation of fighters. As of late, Shibusen had been experiencing a lot of new and young, but seemingly worthy, faces showing up. Many of the past staff had already retired and moved on to apprehending their last minute dreams of relaxation. It was no bother, though, seeing that they had earned it. The only other exception to this, aside from Marie, might have been Spirit, who still didn't stay as long as he would have in his earlier youth. However, occasionally, he could still be found substituting or visiting.

Just as she had nearly given up on finding a familiar body and decided on sitting by herself for the day, she spotted a recognizable head of white hair. "Soul!" she exclaimed thankfully, a smile still on her face. Excited for the company, she quickly made her way to where the man sat. "I almost thought I was going to have to eat alone—uh… Soul?" His head lied down into his crossed arms. Marie was unsure whether to disrupt his silence. '_Awww, Soul's asleep! I wonder how long he's been out. I think I'll pester him a bit anyway, at least before he's caught_!'

She prodded his shoulder lightly with her forefinger. "No Maka… stop…" he muttered incoherently in response. Marie could only chuckle at his display of talking in his sleep, though it struck her curiosity. Nosiness was, in no way, appropriate, but he seemed rather distant lately. Maybe this was a good opportunity to find out what was _really_ going on in his mind, since he refused to speak aloud in his consciousness.

Proceeding to bend down so her head was close behind his, she replied, hoping to get another answer. "Yes, Soul?" Amused at what she was actually attempting to pull off, she fully expected him to talk back, anticipating a quick answer. His reaction was not what she had expected, however.

Rather, he pulled his head up quickly with a fast jerk into consciousness. As he did, the back of his head clashed into her forehead, with a loud thud upon the collision. "Owww!" The sudden jolt was certainly enough to wake him up! He sighed heavily, after noticing his surroundings. "Oh… Just another dream…" His eyes, only half open, showed signs that he had been lacking sleep. Soul had just noticed Marie, who was giving him a baffling look. "Don't do that again, Marie! You frightened me!"

Rubbing her head, she replied to his half-sleepy self, laughing it off. "Right, ha ha… You'd think I learned my lesson by now, huh?" Still laughing off the minor bump of heads, she continued. "I'm sorry I disturbed you! Mind if join you?" He nodded, approving her welcome invitation. As she pulled another chair out and sat beside him, the question that pondered in her mind was what the dream must have been about. Unsure of whether to pry into his business, she tried to shift the subject lightly, only to find curiosity overpowering her plan to invade his personal thoughts. "So, Soul… what did you mean by 'another'? You look rather exhausted!" She looked deeply into his eyes, trying to decipher how he must have been feeling to the best that she could. He hid it quite well, too well for her to read, though.

Turning away from her gaze, Soul rubbed at his eyes, attempting to completely wake himself back up. "Yeah, I'm alright. It's just the same dream from last night, that's all." A lie that was! At least this response would throw her off the topic without causing too much worry. In complete truth, however, the dreams had been occurring consecutively for quite some time now, and the resulting restless days became countless. '_I can't keep going through this… I'm losing sleep over something that shouldn't matter anymore. Sleeping at work…. You're such an idiot, Soul! Not cool at all…_'

Marie laid her hand on his arm. "If you need someone to talk to, I'm here for you, Soul!" She wore the same comforting smile again. Looking into her eyes alone could sooth any negative mood, at least for most. "You don't have to pretend you're alone now." These words did not faze Soul. He knew he wasn't alone, but words alone were not comforting enough to send the feeling away.

Marie could only sigh in with little content. Asking him to talk hadn't worked from the beginning, so how would it now? The most she could do was be there when he needed it, whether he realized it or not. "Have you eaten?" she insisted.

Soul shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Marie. I'm not really hungry."

"Oh, Soul, I insist! If you don't eat, I'll report you for sleeping on duty!" She couldn't get him to talk, but she could get him to stop missing meals. This certainly woke him up. Kid didn't take things lightly from his death scythes!

He immediately alerted to the threat. "Of course you would…" he grumbled a bit. "I'll eat something then… but only because you asked, alright?"

-o-o-o-o-o-

**6:00 pm**

A frightened student quivered, slowly backing away. Her short curly red hair had fallen from its fullness in the midst of unexpected battle, sweat and fear. The red skirted and white bloused Shibusen uniform she wore was now dingy from the many falls and slams she had suffered. Behind her, a closed brick ally gave no room to escape. Finally, with no more room to run and no energy left for her nor her weapon partner, she began to swing the double-edged sword wildly and yelling as loud as she could, in hopes to at least grab the attention of some nearby bystander.

Her intruder walked towards the trapped girl slowly and confidently. Nobody heard her wails for help.  
The wide brim of his tall brown leather hat left his face in shadow, except for the wide grin he always held when he knew his prey was in complete defeat. As the man reached her aimlessly swinging sword, he merely caught it with his hand, not a scratch to be received.

The victim's glacier blue eyes widened in fear. She knew it was over. The man swung his free arm wide open, his Dark green cloak waving open, revealing an outfit that suited a gentleman. Underneath the cloak was a layer of weapons handy to his use. He could have used any of these on her that he wished. However, instead, he thrust his arm back forward, grasping her throat with his black-gloved hand. He lifted her against the brick so that her legs dangled below, preventing her from standing her own ground.

Energy began to flow from where he his hand held her high. "Yes…. Yes! YES! It belongs to me now…." he exclaimed as he laughed in his deep mysterious voice. The weapon she once had a grasp on transformed into the shape of a human boy. He tried to slash at their attacker from behind, his arm still halfway in the shape of his blade, but it turned out to be a futile effort, as the stranger extended his free arm around to his back side, blocking it with no injury. It was like clashing steel with steel.

Finally, he dropped the now lifeless girl, turning to look at the boy. "N-no! Just how ruthless are you!?" her partner exclaimed. The stranger did not care about him, and merely walked off, listening to his cries of terror as he kneeled down by his defeated meister.

"Target successfully eliminated. Permission to report back."

'_You idiot! That wasn't her! Did you look at the photo?_' a voice responded back in his head.

The cloaked man pulled out a crumbled sheet from his pocket. His eyes widened and mouth dropped in disbelief. This was the wrong piece of paper! He scurried around him, looking on the ground and throughout his long jacket frantically.

'_You lost the picture, didn't you?_' The feminine voice speaking to him in his head sighed. '_Your memory serves for the worst… you're lucky I can't afford to send anybody else! Really, how hard is it to remember white hair and Lavender eyes? This is no time to start another war!_' If she were physically there, she would have been too busy whipping him out of sheer fury, for his failure, on every limb of his body.

He grumbled, defeated by his commander's argument. "Yes, ma'am…" He tipped his hat back down and fled the location of the weapon and meister pair he had just split up. "White hair… purple eyes…. White… Purple… eyes… hair… eyes…. White... eyes and purple hair?" He grumbled more as he walked in a rigorous pace. "I've got to find that picture again!"


	6. Chapter 6 Origin of Disturbance

Chapter 6:

_**January 19, 2035**_

Amber green eyes shined in anticipation. Short pink hair waved in the wind as the young lady stood in preparation to enter the institution she had waited so long to visit again. The perfectly symmetrical doors framed with Death's skull emblem upon each side were as perfect as she imagined they would be. Everything had been kept well and balanced. '_Of course, he wouldn't have it any other way! Although, the skull is a little different now!_' It had been redecorated to still resemble the traditional design Kid's father had used to reduce the fear students might have in him, yet gave an expression that yielded a sense of determination through the narrowed eyes. The dropped spikes underneath were slightly shorter, with three stripes going across all three perfectly. Her smile beamed even more.

The visitor proceeded to open the doors, halfway expecting them to be locked yet. They opened easily, however. '_That's odd…. I wonder why he would let them stay so insecure at this hour?_' Despite the surprising result, she continued to walk inside. She was no stranger to them. At the most, they would simply be shocked from her unannounced return. As she strolled down the hallway further, she noticed that announcement boards had been added opposite to the ones that already existed. They were placed specifically across from each other so that one could run a string from one corner of one to the adjacent corner of the other across, and the string would remain flawlessly straight.

She laughed in amusement. Of course this was Kid's work! Though he had learned to accept that some aspects could not remain as perfect as he wanted, but for those that he _could_ help, he wouldn't hesitate to spend hours verifying that it was done in symmetrical perfection.

"That took a lot of time to do. I hope you're not here to mess it up, Kim Diehl…" Kid's voice rang just behind her. Kim jumped in shock to his quick appearance, her face blushed with a hint of embarrassment. She turned to face him quickly, assuring that nothing was touched.

"Kid! Of course not! I'm afraid you might make me fix it, and that's a job I'd rather not take, considering!" Her face fell back to her normal tone. Seven years had passed since she was last standing in this very hallway.

"Oh, I'm not that bad, am I? I've managed to make some exceptions… at any rate, welcome back! Join me at my quarters? It'll be much more relaxing there!" Kim nodded happily. Kid leaded her away to his own accommodation.

Upon their arrival, she found a very relaxing and cozy environment. His couches were that of leather, placed so that they made an even "U." Centered between them was a deep mahogany table with short legs that brought it just low enough to comfortably rest a hand on. "A very nice place you have! I must say, you've really shined as a full Shinigami! There are a lot of new faces too!"

"How did you get in without notifying me, anyway? School hours haven't even started." Kid inquired. He couldn't have just anybody coming in. Times had been quiet, and Kim was very trustworthy, but there was no reason to discontinue safety procedures.

"The doors were left unlocked, of course! I wouldn't intrude if they weren't open." Kim took a seat on a leather couch as Kid prepared two cups of coffee.

"Strange…. Soul must have forgotten. I'll be sure to get with him on that." He paused in the middle of his speech. This wasn't the time to discuss another's mistakes behind their back. The fact was, Kim had come back to Shibusen, and that was happy occasion in itself!

-o-o-o-o-o-

Time had passed since their conversation, and the school halls were beginning to fill with the many students that only dreamed of the opportunity to chase after a witch's soul. Chrona loved trouble too much to give away the fact that she had just stolen and succeeded at the first opportunity that showed up for years. The white haired girl walked down until she noticed a locker she had not seen opened for nine days by now. '_Really? I know you're not here anymore, but sheesh… that's so tacky! When are they going to finally paint over that thing already? Even I don't carry myself that disgracefully…_' The locker that once belonged to Sloan was the most outstanding one within the whole institute. In his previous membership, he held no fear in expressing his intent to brew mischief.

The locker's original grey paint was almost completely covered in a large red spray-painted graphiti of the letter "S." Surrounding the large letter display were various black and white stickers of skulls, stains, bullet shots, and anything you could think of that expressed rebellion. No one had to take a second glance to notice it, or for that fact, even second guess at whose it was. His arrogance told it all. It was no wonder he always chased after Chrona. Between the two of them, their team work would mean the worst chaos that either could accomplish alone.

She sighed at the horrible display. '_It's so boring now… there's no one to complete with! Everyone is easy bait now…_' Chrona began to step on further to her own until she noticed a piece of paper on the ground nearby the odd ball locker. She paused, turning back around and kneeling down to pick it up. Her face shot to one of baffle and surprise. The paper was a picture of her! '_What the hell… collecting photos of me, too?! That obsessive jerk! I've changed my mind now! I'm glad he's gone! How did he get it anyway!? I don't remember giving him my picture… or to anyone at that…_' Now lit in fury, she stuffed it in her pocket quickly.

Another boy walked up just behind her then. "So what did you stuff in your pocket now?" His black undershirt was covered with a white short-sleeve button up left unbuttoned so it gave a casual look. A white skull pin identical to that of the school's updated emblem was attached nonchalantly on the right collar.

Chrona turned around in surprise. "Jin! You scared me! Don't do that again…" He loved to shock her when she least expected him around. His overall attitude was cool, but collected, similar to that of her father's in his own youth. On top of that, he was rich, so everybody wanted to hang with him.

"By the way, I just bought the newest release of the Death-Box 360. Wanna come over and play this weekend? It's the last chance I'll get before my family goes on their stupid vacation… like I really want to go." Jin' attitude was that of a typical teenage boy who didn't want to study and only wanted to party. He was spoiled to the point that his parents gave him anything he wanted.

Chrona stopped to think for a moment. '_Dang! Dad wants me to stay home too… then again… this will be the coolest party of the year! ...Ha, why not? What my dad doesn't know won't hurt him, heh…_' She perked back up after her moment of thought, as Jin awaited an answer with a questioning look in his eye. She threw up a peace sign and a large smile. "Of course! You better get your competition on, though, because I'm gonna be number one!"

"You got it! Don't expect an easy fight..." He winked at her to egg it on further. "Well, see you then!" The two split off to their separate courses.

-o-o-o-o-o-

At last the end of the day had arrived. Among a large oval table in Shibusen's staff meeting room sat the larger heads. Attendance included: Kid fittingly at the head of the table, Liz and Patty adjacently on his left and right. Following around was Soul, Kim, Marie, Black Star and Tsubaki. Between unfortunate events, the need to gain sanity, and those that wished to simply enjoy the rest of their lives, the count of the usual circle of regulars participating had greatly reduced. A few new faces were also present, too, but limited, since Kid well preferred to stay to those he knew and grew up with. Only they understood his obsessive need for symmetry and neatness enough to gather his thought process and make according suggestions. However, he still tried to increase the number as others began to gain the same comprehension and tolerance.

"Welcome everyone! Today's been excellent! You may notice that we have a familiar face we haven't seen for a long time in here!" Kid paused motioning his hand to introduce Kim's arrival. "Most of you know her already, but for those that don't I'll introduce her. This is Kim Diehl. For those of you who aren't familiar with her, I will let you know ahead of time. Your suspicions are correct. She's a witch."

Strange looks dwelled from the new staff Kid had deemed trustworthy enough to attend today's gathering. By that point, Marie was already out of her seat, wildly shaking Kim's arm in excitement. "I knew you would be back Kim! We all missed you SOOOOO MUUUCCCHH!" Her exclaiming ended abruptly, as Kid cleared his throat as a sign to settle down. "Oh, Right! The meeting!" She hummed merrily, skipping back to her seat with a wide smile.

"Anyway, even better news is that Kim will be staying with us again as our school nurse!" Everyone shouted words of cheering to the great news. There could be nobody better for the role! Kim's healing power would work well with the hands-on training she had just received in doctoring practices.

"Aw right! It's party time then!" Anything was a good reason for Liz and Patty to hold a celebration. The two thrust their fists in the air simultaneously, already plotting the fun that they were going to have. They threw their cowgirl hats back on, cheering out loud. "Woo hoo! Kim's back and we're gonna celebrate!" Kid could do no more than close his eyes and shake his head lightly. The girls' easiness to excite was quite astounding, but they were his weapons… his favorite at that. Finally, they eased down.

There was a look of serious intent in Kid's gold eyes. It became quite apparent that he had called this meeting for more than introducing Kim. "On a different note, there is an issue I am growing quite concerned about…. There's been an increasing amount of kishin eggs developing. There have been no attacks on Shibusen that we know of, nor any obvious intent. However, I fear that there could be a larger picture behind this. I suspect that even the most recent loss of one of our students is due to it."

"Do we have any proof or leads, yet, as to whom or what is causing it?" inquired Tsubaki. She was just as concerned. Seeing Kid this way after such a long period of peace truly spoke for the suspicion that had arose in his mind, though nothing could be confirmed yet.

"Not yet, but we are keeping an eye out. There's nothing we can do but protect ourselves at the moment until we find anything else out. I ask you to all stay on your guards until then."

Marie interrupted with another curiosity. "What about the students? Is it safe enough to send them out?" Almost every student knew the world to be safe for the most part. They certainly were not accustomed to what this group had been through.

"That hasn't become an issue yet. At the very least, this will give the students an opportunity for some outside action and practice since these kishin eggs aren't currently beyond their ability." Kid then turned toward Soul, who remained adrift in his own world. It was, after all, Soul's position to keep a routine inspection as one of the elite. "Soul, have you seen anything unusual in particular around here?"

Soul sat, unfazed by his question, eyes still facing downward so that they didn't meet anyone else's gaze. His expressions were like that of a man arguing with himself, changing from one look to another, without a word. First the look of confusion, which shifted to a look of aggravation, only to follow up with another look of determination, then last, but not least, a slight smile of accomplishment. It was as if he were experiencing a non-stop cycle of emotions. An awkward silence grew as the man didn't answer Death's question.

Suddenly, Soul slammed his closed fist on the table. It rendered a loud thud on the table, sending a vibration that shocked all his spectators. "Damn it! I'm trying to pay attention!" he burst out in frustration. As his mind fell back into reality, the crowd grew silent. After a minute of the awkward stares of shock and disbelief shooting his way, Soul finally hesitated to continue. "Oh, sorry... Just a headache… what… was your question?" His expression was blank, with no attention to what had been said prior. He heard them talk, but didn't adhere to the discussion matter.

"Soul, do you know anything about the growing counts of kishin eggs that we don't?" Kid hated to resist asking what could have possibly caused Soul to grow so silent in his own thought only to burst out so unnecessarily, but there were matters at hand, and one of the biggest roles was in Soul's hands. He couldn't let one of his best stray off focus now.

Soul stared for another moment, in what seemed would be like another episode of emotions. "No… nothing." He quickly answered unenthusiastically, trying to stray the attention away from him. At this point, he was as useful as a gun loaded with empty shells. A rather fruitless answer it was for a man in such a deep thought. Still, it wasn't that he wasn't being truthful.

Kid could only sigh, as little information as he had. "Then it seems we don't have any clues… yet. Stay alert and aware of anything odd. If any of you hear or see something that could be linked… tell me immediately." He shifted his eyes back to the man who still seemed to be paying no attention. His voice deepened in tone, instilling the serious mood he had just been thrown in. "Including you, Soul. I rely on you as a safety inspector. Don't let anything slip by you." Soul knew good and well that this was his method of telling him to step back up in his duties by his tone and glare.

Everyone began to depart once Kid indicated his closure. Soul was nearly out the door last when Kid grabbed his arm and pulled him back in the room gently, after assuring that they were alone. "Ahh… what is it?" he inquired, his voice blunt so that that it was obvious he wanted no more time to speak.

"Soul, you went through the whole meeting without an ounce of attention. You left the doors unlocked this morning. You haven't spoken a word to anybody lately about anything, except to 'shut up'. You can't even provide one clue on the kishin eggs, even though you are around the school all day, every day. Overall, you just seem… distracted. What's going on?" Kid's eyes and words pierced through Soul as though it were an interrogation scene.

Soul fretted to himself silently. This day was bound to come, the way things had been lately. His comrades weren't stupid. "Nothing." The answer was bland and unconvincing with a fake smile attached that didn't reassure near as much as he thought it would.

"Nothing? Really, you are one of the best in my crew, but the way you've been lately… you're just not yourself."

Soul sighed. What could he say to avoid from having to pour his head open? The death scythe really did not want to expose his issues, afraid of what Kid might say or do in response. Only one excuse came to mind. "Stress, really, that's all." It was the most simple and discreet excuse that could be used in place.

Kid shook his head in slight disbelief. "Stress?" He wasn't sure what to think of the blatant answer. "Look, I don't know if you're being honest with me or not, but if that's really the problem, try to take some time to relax, Soul. I'll even extend a vacation to you if need it."

The scythe quickly butted in before it could go any further. He knew what was coming if he didn't stop it right there and then. "Don't worry about me, alright? Things will lighten up... am I excused now?" The insistent look in his eyes was the sign that he was being pushed further than he wanted to be. Kid could only nod in response, knowing he could get nothing more from him without stirring unwanted tension.

Kid just watched as Soul walked off, without a word to anyone else. '_Really…. He's such a stubborn idiot! What could be so stressful that he can't talk about it?_' He paused, finding himself in deep thought as well. Soul was, after all, one of his best Death Scythes. These events of outburst weren't something that he was comfortable simply sitting back and accepting. Still, Kid had to force himself back into reality. Despite how much it bothered him to see one of his few Death Scythes like this, there was still more to do than this, and thinking all day wouldn't get it done. Perhaps Soul would open up again in time.

-o-o-o-o-o-

The remainder of the day had passed, with not another word about Soul's sudden display of what he seemed to call small stress. He had purposely made a point to avoid any potential conversation that could bring the subject up. His hopes were that in time, the topic would certainly dissipate. His emotions weren't what mattered, or at least not to him.

Meanwhile, in the Takinawa house hold, Mina looked down at her plate of food. A look of disgust and disapproval came on her face. She took no time to hide her dislike for what her mother had just cooked.

"Fifteen years and still picky as ever… you're not going out till you finish your plate, young lady." The soft voice was gentle, but firm.

Habit kicked in, as the unappeased fifteen year old twirled her pink hair about and around her finger. "But, Mom! My friends are waiting for me!"

Her mother smiled back at her, amused at the excuse. "And so is dinner…" She stood up, picking up her own plate, carrying it away, and disappeared from her daughter's site.

"Finish it, she says..." the girl retorted sarcastically. Mina's fork twirled around the plate a little, eyes shifting downward towards the light oak table instead. A high pitched whine began beside her. She looked down toward it, pleased. In the adjacent closed off kitchen, pouring water could be heard. "You're just in time, Jack!" Mina giggled a bit. She was grateful to the family pet's timely appearance The golden retriever was more than happy to eat the bit of food that she didn't want. In fact, he was glad just to have more than dry food alone, his fluffy tail wagging left and right as if there was a non-stop motor installed.

Ducking down below the table, she quickly slid all but one bit on the floor for the living trash compactor to finish off for her. Just as she heard the water turn off, she quickly sat back up, forcing herself to consume the last bit she had left. It looked as though she had finished her plate quickly, and was on her finishing bite! '_Perfect_!' Her mom now stood at the doorway into the dining area, happy at what she thought was her daughter finishing her home cooked meal.

"See, it wasn't that bad, was it? Now bring your plate here."

"Yes ma'am!" The girl stood quickly, obeying her mother's instructions. She ran to the exit, where her shoes were conveniently left, throwing them on as she stumbled out the door.

Just outside was Jade. "It's about time!"

"Ah ha ha! Sorry about that! I was trying to avoid from having to eat my mom's horrible casserole again." Mina's cheeks blushed in embarrassment. She glanced around, slightly baffled. "Nice outfit change! Ha ha! Maybe now you'll actually pick up a guy huh? Where's everyone else, anyway?"

"They are picking up some pizza." For once, Jade was actually dressed pretty casual Her pink short sleeved top decorated with flowers on the lower left of the front was a nice medium between casual and conservative, complimented with form fitting jeans.

"Great! I'm starved!" Mina wrapped her arm around Jade's, dragging her off in a hurry.

Just as they passed a darker ally as they made their way off, they could spot a strangely dressed man. His largely brimmed brown hat covered his face, making it impossible to note his identification. It frightened them a bit to pass him, so they made a point to appear to pay little attention to him, despite his suspicious appearance with his dark green cloak that covered nearly everything but his chin and boots. Jade was prepared to shift into her weapon form at any second.

"Purple hair…. Purple… hair, right? " he muttered to himself low enough so the girls wouldn't hear him. He shot a quick glance at the girls. "That can't be them…"

He secretly hoped that by repeating what he knew was wrong, she would answer back and give him what was right. A pleasant surprise to him, he indeed received a response. '_Really, you're such a moron sometimes..._' the voice rang back.

"Ma'am! I was wondering-" he began, until she broke into the middle of his request.

'_Maybe I should have done this another way with someone else... because once AGAIN, you forgot. I'll tell you ONE more time. After that, you're on your own! WHITE hair…. LAVENDER eyes..._'

-o-o-o-o-o-


	7. Chapter 7 Voice From the Past

**(This chapter mainly involves just Soul and Chrona. Forgive me for the late release. I haven't had the chance to receive before-hand feedback on it! I hope it turned out well enough anyway! Please read and review so I may continue to improve on the story! =) )**

**January 21, 2035**

A familiar female voice rang in Soul's head as the day at the academy neared its end. It had been speaking to him for some time now, only he previously refused to believe it was there, till now. He was just concerned whether it was obvious to the public eye. Would they see him as insane? Or was he truly going delusional? "_About those kishins… I know what you want to do, but are you really strong enough to protect everyone on your own? You're not anatamous, and you know it. Why else would he limit you to school grounds?_"

"_I'm his best—"_ he retorted, trying to defend his own position.

"_You're strong, I'll admit, but stop and think about it. You never get to complete those sorts of missions by yourself. Every time you're sent out, it's always with Death, or some other meister." _Jealousy began to fill his heart as he considered her words. She was right. His mind strayed to all the opportunities that had been lost in his idle days. For one, Fire and Thunder were not equal to him, yet Kilik had the honor of watching Europe.

All in all, this was simply inconceivable anyway, at least, to him. The man grew irritated at the condescending message. He had to break the conversation before the feeling of incompetence got the best of him. "_First in my dreams… now in my thoughts… how are you doing this? You can't be real. Our time together ended years ago…"_

"_Ended? I wouldn't say it like that… really, is that how it is now? I finally see where I stand." _

"_I loved you, Maka… and still do! But… right now…"_

"_Right now what? Oh, I get it now… I'm a bother, right?!" _ Her voice grew in frustration. It was the same typical arguing that the couple was known to go through, though their relationship had stayed strong.

"_No, no! It's just that…"_ A hefty sigh let out as his eyes narrowed in confusion. "…_I just don't seem to understand anything anymore..."_

Suddenly he felt an unexpected jab, a quick punch to his cheek to break the focus he had on the conversation. "Yo! Soul! Stop day dreaming, why don't ya?!" Black Star stood in Soul's face, a wide grin from ear to ear from the surprise he threw on his best friend. "Really, you act so depressed now! There's more to life than frowning! The weekend is finally here and you promised to come training with me, remember!?"

Soul paused, letting out a breath of relief. Black Star didn't notice him talking to himself! Still, he couldn't help but dwell on what his own lover had just reminded him of in some telepathic manner. His voice still remained low and unenthusiastic from the drop of confidence it had given him. "Oh… yeah… well what about Tsubaki? Maybe you should be training with her instead… she _is_ your weapon partner, after all, not me."

"Nah, Mifune's soul by itself already gave us enough. It was about time Death let us have it! Besides' even if we did see a rogue witch, we can't kill them or collect their soul, anyway. You're just lucky you got one before all this peace stuff started!" The clan warrior was more than confident in his weapon, almost as much as he was in himself. His straight back held his shoulders high and folded arms showed determination. "What's with you anyway?"

"_So, Soul, what will it be? That is what you want, after all?"_

"Yes it is!" he responded with slight frustration out loud. It was then that he realized Black Star was unsure of how to respond, seeing the comment had nothing to do with the conversation between him and his best friend. Soul cleared his throat a moment, and continued, returning his attention to the real conversation outside his head. "I mean… ah… yes… it did give you a nice boost. I just want to try for a new ambition, though."

"O-ho-ho, really! Maybe it's something the all mighty Black Star can help you with! Bring it on!" No ego could out match this one after the unintended compliment he had just received.

"_I didn't make you a Death Scythe by asking for help did I? Do you think I would have truly earned it if I had? Only I could push myself for it, to stay self-motivated, remember? Because of that, I broke a limit I thought had and succeeded! Now do you see where true strength lies? Show them that you can do it on your own, and then maybe you will find your way to a higher position!" _Maka's voice continued.

"No, no thanks. This is something that only I can do, Black Star. Thanks for the offer anyway."

"If you say so! Don't come crying to me when you start getting bored! Now that that's all settled, I'm going to train!" With that last comment, Black Star ran off to act on his passion. If Tsubaki had been a Death Scythe, then he could have truly been considered to have achieved his life-long dream: surpass a god.

Soul smiled slightly in amusement of Black Star, until the voice returned yet again. It was like pleasure and torment at the same time. He buried his forehead into his palm in distress as it continued to feed his confusion.

"_I'm your meister, Soul… did you really think you can just forget about me? Even still, I want to see the look of surprise on everyone's face when they see that you've become anatamous! Surprises are so fun sometimes!_"

He missed her desperately, but her existence meant the memories he had longed to forget. "Maka…. Why? Do you know what you've put me through already? Just when I'm over you, you return to complicate things…"

-o-o-o-o-o-

_**8:30 p.m.**_

The evening had fallen at last, and the party at Jin's was about to kick off! Mina, Jade, Kale and Chrona finally reached the festival of games and junk food. Upon their arrival at Jin's large mansion, Chrona and Mina gawked in awe. "Woooooow! It amazes me every time I come here! I sure wish we were that rich!" Mina's dreamy turquois eyes stared at the amazing three-storied house in envy.

"Oh please, I'm sure it's just as much a pain to maintain and pay for." Jade said, trying to alleviate the awkward obsession.

Kale smiled with an amused scoff to the comment. The women became too busy mingling about how they wished their parents earned the same income, as though it were a walk through the park. He took the moment to approach the door, ringing the bell so Jin would know they had arrived.

Almost immediately, the door opened, Jin's head popping out as though he were on the watch for danger. He quickly changed his expression of caution into that of surprise. "Oh, Kale! I wasn't expecting you to come out."

"Thank doofus over here…. I can't let myself leave her alone with the noticeable increase of danger these days." Of course, by this, he meant to protect his own weapon partner.

"I am not a doofus! You dork!" she spit back. "Wait, you mean the kishins, right? Ha! Too bad for everyone else I already…" She stopped, realizing she almost gave away her big secret. "I already have 99 of them!"

"It's cold out here! Can we PLEASE go in now?" Mina's arms were full of chill bumps even under her jacket.

With that, they all filed inside immediately, except for Chrona, who still stood at the doorway. An odd feeling had come over her, suddenly. It felt as though she had eyes glued on her. She turned to glance outside for a moment before stepping in. '_Why does it feel like I'm being watched, still? How creepy..._'

-o-o-o-o-o-

_**10:00 p.m.**_

As the evening fell deeper and deeper into the night, Soul couldn't help but to think about the conversations in his own head. He lied on his bed lazily, trying to make sense of what the days had brought him to. "Maka, I don't understand… how are you here?" His countless number of attempts to calm the array of confusion seemed nearly futile.

"_You still don't get it? Since the day we joined each other as a team, I'll always be a part of you. Don't think you can simply ignore me all your life. After all, I AM the one that made you a Death Scythe…_" she answered. Her voice was as genuine as it had always been. There was a sense of care within it, but also a sense of practicality that he simply couldn't toss to the side.

Soul shook his head in disbelief. "You are my meister, and amazingly smart… I can't deny that." He let out a sigh of exhaustion, picking up a framed photo of Maka. Gazing at it, his mind couldn't stop wandering, disappointed in how the evening was turning out, yet again. "Another sleepless night…"

"_In that case, now's your chance, Soul._" This implication put a grin on his face, one wide enough to expose his jagged white teeth. He knew exactly what she was trying to say.

-o-o-o-o-o-

_**2:00 a.m.**_

The night of games and fun had gone well. Crowds of students dressed down from their usual school uniforms had already gone home, leaving but a few. "Ha ha ha! Take that Chrona!" Jin shouted as buttons were mashed uncontrollably, the virtual figures on the television smashing, kicking and punching each other.

"Oh yeah!? Then suffer the wrath of my best combo ever!" With a simple order of the buttons on her own white controller, she watched Jin's life bar drop from halfway full to nothing. "See? Told ya I'd win!" Chrona tipped her red hat cap downward as her head rose in confidence. She grinned from ear to ear in satisfaction.

"Hey hey now! That's not fair! I demand a re-match!"

Meanwhile, Kale remained ready to leave. Chrona was the only reason he was there in the first place. If she had not insisted on going, he would have well felt better about not accompanying her. "Chrona, we should really be going."

She sighed in disgust. "Ugh… fine, okay. Jin, I gotta jet! Mr. Anti-Social here is afraid of getting in trouble with his parents!" Chrona shifted a look of disapproval to the suggestion, but knew good and well it would hurt her to stay out much longer, too.

"I'll see you around, then…" he said, putting in all he had to refrain himself from begging her to stay. Kale dragged Chrona, who was pouting from the forced departure, out the door. The two began to walk their way back home. Tonight, Chrona did not have her motorcycle with her. If she had brought it, it would only leave a clue to her dad that she had left without permission.

As they walked, she made the first attempt to break the silence; otherwise, not a word would be heard. "He's totally into me, I know it… if I were into all that lovey dovey crap… he would probably be my match, too, because at least he doesn't _stalk_ me, like others!" Chrona's eyes filled with curiosity, trying to imagine the life of becoming the girlfriend of a rich man. She shook it off quickly, though, knowing good and well she wasn't into soft things like that.

"Something's not right… you saw the reports, right?" he said immediately, with total disregard to her prior comment, as his gaze shifted left and right. It was as though he were on the watch for an intruder. Chrona simply sighed at his paranoia. He was the toughest person to start a descent talk with.

"Really, Kale, I'm concerned, too, but just because eight students died mysteriously doesn't mean that we will, too. We're strong enough to defend ourselves! Besides, we're beyond them now!" She quietly mimicked him as she followed reluctantly. Her facial expressions stopped in mid track, however, as a machete flew across in front of her face. It was barely one inch away from touching her skin as it flew, leaving a slight wind afterwards.

Quickly before them, without a sound, stood a man, clothed in a long forest green trench coat, topped with his usual brown wide brimmed hat. It was almost as if he had simply materialized out of nowhere. "I found you at last… yes…. This time, I know you are the right one!"

Chrona hesitated for a moment. '_Is this who's been watching me the whole time?_' she thought to herself, though the feeling was slightly different. Perhaps it was because he announced his presence so quickly. "Who are you!?"

He only laughed in a low voice in return to the request. "My name doesn't matter… now prepare for your death." The man was not about beating the bush or playing games. His goal was to finish the job and nothing more. Idle chit chat was pointless.

Both the weapon and meister knew what they had to do. Purple light engulfed Chrona as she took on her weapon form, landing into Kale's hands. Kale took a defensive stance as he caught the chain, wrapping it around so that it was ready to throw out at any time.

Her appearance was much like that of her old, still simple, save for some coloring. Where her chain was once silver, it was now gold, handles included, save for a single one inch strip of silver that wrapped around the circular end, complimenting the thin blades, also in silver, that ran along each lock of the gold chain itself. When looked at closely enough, one would notice the numbers one through twelve in a fancy old English font evenly spread on the silver circular strip.

The man threw his cloak open with his left arm, quickly retrieving a whip made of flexible metal plates. The edges of each thin plate were strong, yet narrow and sharp enough to put several slices on a caught opponent. It was apparent that this man was no meister, but rather an ordinary man with ordinary weapons. There were no magical abilities to the weapons of his choice.

Kale held Chrona's chain across in front of him tightly as their attacker whipped the metal length toward him. The end of the whip was as sharp as a dagger. He swiftly jumped back, avoiding from becoming sliced. The metal whip caught and coiled around Chrona a few cycles in its natural momentum. It did not release, however. The layered shards it was made of clasped, creating a strong grip.

The man began to reel them in slowly while he had them in within his control. "Kale, it's loose now!" The thin blades that ran along the locks of the chain disappeared, giving way for Kale to slip her lose from the whip's grip. He released one end, retaining a hold on the other, and slid her through the coil until it reached the end, locking the two into a single line from her handle. The meister gave a strong jerk, pulling their opponent inwards instead.

As soon as the two men were close enough to strike one another, weapons still locked at each their ends, he shot a bold kick to the man, aiming to strike his throat. This was a matter of trying to save their lives now, even if by means of killing. The kick was too slow, however. By the time he thought his foot would land, the man's arm was already up to block it. Upon the collision to his block, Kale dropped back to his feet.

"You're good, but slow. I can see right through you…" the hunter stated in a calm fashion. He was no amateur at this business. Now he had released the whip, letting Chrona's chain free from the restraint. Kale immediately reeled her back in, backing up to give some distance between them and the cloaked man again. The hunts man swung his weapon towards Kale in a quick and repetitive way, forcing him to jump, dodge and maneuver to avoid from taking damage

"He's too offensive, Kale. You'll wear yourself out dodging!" Chrona could tell Kale was forced to stay on the defensive side, but what other choice did they have? The man wouldn't stop his attacks for even a minute. Finally, the man stopped for a split second. "Now!"

Kale slung Chrona forwards again, forming a straight oncoming attack, successfully piercing their attacker and pulling her back in so she rested around his arm again. His aim was to make him bleed out. Perhaps, then, he would slow down enough for them to have a chance. The man simply stood, looking downwards, laughing at the minor injury. When his laughter stopped, he looked back up to Kale.

"How amusing, but not enough." He ran towards them once again, his feet making no sound against the ground what so ever. They could only wonder how his boots were so heavy, yet he could sneak and run around so silently! Tonight he was merely playing, or so until he felt it was proper to become serious.

Chrona's meister was becoming quite irritated. The inability to touch him, and when he did, it meant nothing, ate at his pride and confidence. His eyes glared into the hunt man's. He tossed the chain across his body until it met halfway, leaving equal length on both ends. Chrona smiled at this new attitude. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" She grinned, ready once more to battle. The small blades that had inverted were now extended again, except for its middle, where Kale needed his grip. She, too, had a way of sensing where his hands fell.

Swinging each end till they made wide circles, he walked forward slowly, a fire lit in his eyes. The solid handles crisscrossed as his arms turned inward and outward like a child playing double-dutch jump rope. The weapons ends had actually extended by now, giving Kale the advantage of distance once again. His two armed attack gave no time for his opponent to waste. Not that this was a problem, since his energy never seemed to end.

The hunter's one whip switched both left and right in attempt to block both sides of Kale's aggressive approach. If both sides had succeeded to swipe at him, his clothes would be ripped into striped shreds. Kale put every bit of energy he had in him, strafing left, right, leaning to dodge every attack that came his way. It was a non-stop episode of swings.

Just as Kale managed to reach approximately three feet from his opponent, he twisted his body around in a momentum that threw him in spin, exposing his back and swinging the left half of the chain so that it would wrap around the hunter's neck from behind.

The chain came to a mere stop. "This is why you should never keep both hands occupied… at least against me. Heh heh heh…" Kale froze for a moment. A small single train of blood ran slowly down the hunter's hand, which was now held upright with the bladed chain caught in midair. He paid no attention, nor cared that he had been sliced once or twice. Pain and blood meant nothing, if it meant defeating his opponent.

The chain wielder let his left hand loose and attempted to throw the strongest strike he could to the man's head in hope that he would let go of Chrona, but it was useless as he simply ducked, avoiding it. Not that it would have mattered any way. He simply wanted to demonstrate that Kale and Chrona were not on his level.

The gust of a strong wind could be heard amongst the silence of the two fighters. Kale's breath fell heavy as he took what time had been given to him to catch it again. The hunter's cloak swayed gently in the dramatic pause, as the weight of the remaining hidden weapons kept it down enough to remain accessible. However, to Kale's and Chrona's surprise, his smile suddenly fell to a frown of fret and desperation as his hat tumbled off his head along with the midnight air that had just rushed through. He gasped, letting go of Chrona's chain that pierced his hand immediately. "My… my hat! No! Come back!"

Chrona's eyebrow rose in confusion from the sudden change of will. "What the heck… Kale, he can't be serious…"

"No time to play, Chrona. I don't have the same kind of stamina this man has."

"I'll slow time again so we can make an escape! He's more than a match for us right now…" she exclaimed. A reasonable answer, considering the situation they were in. At least it would give them enough time to evade any further chance for him to change his mind and continue his pursuit. Chrona was more than aware that they had not gained complete control or knowledge on their new abilities.

As they remained in their resonated state, both Kale and Chrona let out their battle cry, asserting as much power as they could into their attack that had won them Chrona's Death Scythe status, only, with more determination. "Momentum Control!" The decorated numbers that circled around Chrona's silver ended handles glowed a faint red just enough so they could still be read as she swung in a slow motion above Kale's head.

Every movement to be seen slowed down, as they expected. This was easier to perform since Chrona had become a Death Scythe. In fact, it began to slow down more than they were accustomed to. "Is it just me or…." A hint of confusion fell into Chrona's voice.

Kale answered as simple as he could, reassuring her suspicion. "Yes." He walked to where a stray dead leaf ceased to move even an inch, knocking it off its branch completely. They expected to follow its path to the ground, but it remained in mid-air instead, motionless. "Time has stopped."

"Wooooow!" Chrona shouted in admiration, her lavender eyes sparkling with amazement.

"Still, there's no time to play… heh, no pun intended. Let's leave." Kale's attention was not to admiring what they had just done, but to escape and save their lives while the chance presented itself.

Chrona's eyes lit at the new found ability still. "Let's use this to our advantage while we can! It's impossible for him to move! We can get him now!"

The man seemed nearly immortal, as though he had stolen the energy of a God. Kale knew that one small trick wouldn't save them, at least, not now. "Who knows what he has up his sleeve, even if I do entangle him now."

Chrona chuckled as she peeped from her weapon form towards the frozen man kneeled down to scramble for a mere hat. "You're right. At any rate, I'm beginning to lose grip of the freeze now." Kale took heed of her hint, and fled off quick as he could in the silence of timelessness. They barely made it a safe distance as the frames of time quickly picked its pace back up.

Meanwhile, the hunter, who had been left behind at where they had escaped, quickly picked his hat back up. He brushed the little bit dirt off. His had was a pride and joy. Without it, he felt lost. Turning back around, he began again. "So, about where we were…" Just as he reached full view of the open scenery his back was once turned to, he realized he was now by himself. "I'll find you again… now that I've seen you, it can't be that hard…"

-o-o-o-o-o-

At last the escaped duo arrived at Chrona's house. Kale stopped by her front door, waiting for her to walk in. She paused after putting her hand on the door handle, turning her body so that she faced Kale again. "By the way…. Thank you. And please don't tell my dad!"

The fact was, she never intended on asking her father permission to go out from the beginning. She simply snuck out, giving on the false pretense that she went to bed early. A stuffed figure of clothes and bags were laid under her bed sheets, so any peeping eyes would not miss her in her absence. None the less, she didn't expect to run into any threats, either. Surely he would be asleep by the time she returned, anyway. It was thanks to her dad's distracted mind that she managed to get by with it.

She proceeded inside, her red cap shifting left, then right to assure that no one had seen her. As soon as the coast seemed clear, her steps went slowly, as to not creak a board or knock a table. As she tip toed through the hallway, she noticed her father's bedroom door open. Quickly leaning against the wall, she had to find some way to pass the entry without being seen.

Chrona peeped her head just enough so one eye could spy. He was nowhere to be seen in the faint light, though. '_Come to think of it… his keys were missing too. Where would he have gone at this hour?_' The clock read 2:00 am by now.

She boldly stepped into the room, unsure of whether she was being fooled or not. "Dad?" There was no answer. She walked towards the small square table by his bed, where she noticed a picture frame fallen face down so the photo could not be seen. Picking it up, she smiled. "Strange, I've never seen this picture before. I wish would have gotten to know you better, Mom..." She laughed lightly, setting the picture back down gently and upright.

**Please review after reading, so I may continue on improving or resuming any techniques or focus points to better my story and writing! Thank you in advance! ^_^**


	8. Chapter 8 The Light that Dimmed

**Chapter 8 The Light that Dimmed**

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Please leave a review to let me know what you think! I've been without my betas, so please let me know how it's been going so far! ^.^ This will also help encourage me to continue it! **

**-o-o-o-o-o-**

_**January 22, 2035**_

Soul sat in front of his television, lounging in his reclining chair. His sighs conveyed both boredom and sadness as he constantly flipped through every channel, looking for something to appease the negativity in his heart and distract the voice in his head. As his mind began to clear to a point that he might be able to fit a nap in, a loud knock was heard on the door. "Visitors? Now? How inconvenient…" His voice was flat in his lack of desire to express any emotion.

Despite this, he still reluctantly stood up from the soft chair and shuffled towards the entrance in his lack of energy. Upon opening it, he saw Black Star. "Hey, did'ya forget about Kim's welcome back party at Liz' place!?"

"Oh… that…. I decided not to go. Sorry." Soul answered as blunt as he could. Pleasing others stopped becoming a concern long ago, since his days had become so stressful.

Black Star's face filled with shock. "Not going?! I hope you know, Kim REALLY wanted you to be there… hence, she sent me! Get your party pooper butt up and enjoy yourself for once!" Now he wore a smile, feeling good from the command he had just given. His best friend wasn't about to skip out if he could help it!

"_Now, of all times… I'm so tired…" _Soul thought to himself.

"_Black Star is right… don't be a party pooper! Maybe you don't want to go, but I want you to go_! _In fact… I'm not going to leave you alone until you do!_" Maka replied in Soul's mind. She wasn't about to let him sleep during a festivity like this! Maka may not have been physically there, but somehow her command still had effective precedence on him.

Soul glanced behind him, down the hallway, unsure of leaving Chrona by herself yet again. "_Take Chrona too, Soul… our daughter deserves to have some fun as well!_" He rubbed his head as though a headache had begun. "Right… give me a moment to get ready." He motioned for Black Star to come in, whom immediately took the invitation, plopping himself onto the chair that Soul had been forced out of.

-o-o-o-o-o-

The three finally arrived at Liz' apartment. As they entered, a sudden loud cheer was heard. It was a mixture of "Soul! You made it after all!" and "It's about time!" Nobody was any less than happy to finally have his presence. The place was packed with both familiar and unfamiliar faces.

By Liz's side was a handsome young man with dark, shaggy hair and dressed in seemingly new blue jeans complimented by a freshly pressed blue button down shirt. He went by the name Eli, and appeared to be quite fond of Liz as his warm and loving deep brown eyes could only admire her more and more. It was quite obvious to any stranger that the two were together.

Patty, too, had brought her own special guest, a young lady with long straight brown hair that reached below her shoulders. Her name was Luna, and she was quite a hit with the men. Never the less, she refused to just give in to any line that was shot at her in attempt to draw her attention. Still, this did not stop the looks that never ceased to almost undress her.

The group created quite the amount of mingling to match up to the conversations that went on outside the private room. Kid stood up, drawing everyone's undivided attention back to him as the room silenced once again. "To Kim's return!" he exclaimed, holding up his cup. Everyone followed the motion, raising theirs in return, except for Chrona, whose face was that of boredom. She made it well apparent that she had rather not be stuck there.

They brought their cups back down, taking a sip simultaneously. "Gee, I didn't know you missed me that much!" Kim said, chuckling in her breath. She blushed slightly after the direction of attention was drawn to her.

"Kim's back! Kim's back!" sang Patty, as she danced about. The youthful attitude never went away! She could grow to be a hundred years old, and still never lose sight of her youth. Everyone laughed at her cheerful display. This certainly was an occasion to celebrate! It even brought a smile to Chrona for a brief second, only for it to fall once again in boredom.

The only one that didn't share the energetic vibe seemed to be Soul. By now, it seemed as if everyone had grown used to his silent ways. Everyone simply assumed that his thoughts were on the upcoming day that typically made him a little more sad than usual, so they chose not to inquire about it, as to not make him feel bothered even further. Speaking never seemed to work, and he refused any type of therapy, but eventually, he always came back around to his usual self. It wasn't "cool" to stay depressed forever.

Chrona grunted under her breath. _'I have to suffer through this stuff just to get free food? They better not start making out now… and why is that lady looking over here anyway? Has she not seen a bored teenager before?_' She was speaking of Luna, of course, who shown quite an interest their way.

"So that's Soul? I've heard a lot about him. He's an amazing Death Scythe, huh?" Luna asked Patty. Her eyes had shown a sense of intrigue toward the man with snow white hair, whose silence only brought her more curiosity. Luna's gaze turned to that of concern. Even she wasn't an idiot to the fact that Soul wasn't his usual self, even if it was the first time she had laid eyes on him. "It seems like something is troubling him, though…"

"A little, yes. We've all tried to get him to talk, but it's never any use… he'll get better in time though! Always does!" It was easier for them to see him quiet than depressed, so nobody tried to pry into the topic.

"Watch this then…" Luna smirked a bit, sure that she could get something from him. For some, it was easier to talk to strangers than to those that were close to them. This, she hoped would be the case. She walked to where he was leaned against the wall. "Hey there, stranger! I'm Luna! I've heard all about you!"

"…Oh, have you?" was all he could think of in response. Soul did not particularly care to meet new people, not right now.

"Yep! I'm pretty amazed too… one of the best Death Scythes around? I'd kill just to have that kind of status! I tried to be a good meister, but I can't even do that!" Luna laugh a bit, hoping it would lighten Soul's mood.

"Sorry to disappoint…" His blunt response still did not sway her optimistic attitude. She merely laughed in amusement.

Luna eyed him for a moment, attempting to find a common ground to talk on. "You remind me of somebody in my band, back in my old days, actually."

Soul's eyes lit up slightly. "Band? I didn't know you knew how to play…" He tried not to show the change in his thought, but he couldn't stop the faint smile from creeping up. For once, somebody wasn't trying to pry into his past. The woman also seemed to have a sense of understanding of his passion.

"Yeah, I played the trumpet! I'm surprised you take such interest in that. Surely it seems like it's just a high school thing…" Luna laughed a moment, slightly embarrassed

"No, no! Actually… I can play too." Soul's cheeks began to redden. He couldn't believe he was so openly talking to her, even though they had just met. "Well… not trumpet that is… ah… Piano."

"Wow! I guess you're like me then, huh? Most don't these days, but I really appreciate the quality and talent of a classic instrumental. It beats all the nonsense that's out these days!" The two couldn't help but to laugh at the irony of their agreement and similarity in taste. Luna's curiosity could only grow into affection and admiration from here. There really was more to him than his silence!

Patty, who still sat in the distance, grew quite surprised at the conversation that carried on past the "hello". She smiled in satisfaction. "How you did that, I don't know, Luna…" she said to herself, happy to see Soul actually take the time to interact for once. She wondered to herself, perhaps it was true what Luna said; sometimes it takes a complete stranger.

-o-o-o-o-o-

_**January 23, 2035**_

It was another average school day at Shibusen. Chrona stood in front of her locker, bored out of her mind. Fellow students around her laughed and smiled. It was as though peace had come to them. Not a single fight had broken out around her, lately. "_Come to think of it… I AM a Death Scythe and practically the only one_…" She scoffed mischievously. She recalled her father's instructions. "_Don't abuse your power… screw that! What use are powers if you can't use them? I'll show em' if nobody else will…someone has to take authority around here!" _

As she watched the crowds go through, she wondered who she could pick on to make the days exciting again. Chrona noticed a boy holding up his money card. His shaggy brown hair and dark square glasses gave away his stereotyped position in the student body.

"I've been saving my money on here so I could finally buy a Deathbox 380! All the cool kids have one. Just a few more weeks, and I'll be caught up with them!" he exclaimed in excitement.

Chrona couldn't help but to smile, and not in an innocent way. She pulled out her own money card, of which most had already been spent. "_Today's my lucky day… and with my new abilities, nobody will suspect a thing! Heh…_" As she closed her eyes shut tight, she focused her energy on the seconds that passed. This was something she had been practicing just for occasions like this, when her meister was not around. Just as everybody stopped in the midst of their motion, she pranced over to the frozen raised hand, switching her card for his, adjusting it so it appeared as though nothing had changed. "Who's got the money now, huh?" Chrona laughed as she jumped in a dancing motion back to her original position.

Closing her eyes once again, she opened them again to the continued commotion. "_Sucker…" _A satisfied smile came over her face as she walked away, almost unable to retain herself, books in her hand. Nobody took the time to memorize their money card identification numbers, so what harm was it to have a slight change of digits?

She quickly turned around to glance behind her before she disappeared from the hallway. "_Is someone watching me… whoever it is better not be a tattle tale!_"

-o-o-o-o-o-

By passers stood and gawked in awe as the slender woman, in her fitting dress, walked by, accompanied by her opposite counterpart. Viewers weren't sure whether to make them out to be as they strolled through Death City. "I think I'll pass on my usual…" she stated, as she shot a quick glance towards the Deathbucks café. She smiled, knowing that things had finally began to progress. Soon, her opponent would be down by two. All it needed was a little more persistence, and the days would at last go the way she desired them to. The silence over the years had grown to become too much.

"He made contact once. Do you think he can do it again?" her company asked. His hazel eyes gleamed in curiosity as his brunette hair waved in the growing winds.

"I supposed we should remind him. The job should have been finished immediately. I didn't expect for it to turn out as such a challenge…" The woman paused, lightly touching her temple as her eyes closed gently to make connection. Once it was made, she picked up her casual pace once again, her servant following her.

The man she began to speak to from the distance removed his hat. He had been looking all day and all night since the last encounter, and finally grew tired of wandering around aimlessly. His secret wish was that he was blessed with Soul Perception. Perhaps then, he wouldn't have such trouble with the need of description or location, but no matter, he was still good without it- that is, when his target presented themself clearly. It was just a matter of locating. He dropped to the ground, resting his arms against his upright knees, until suddenly he heard his master's voice again.

"_You found her once, and you can't find her again_?" the voice of elegance prompted.

Quickly, he threw his hat back on, jumping to his feet, almost as if to honor her, even in her lack of physical presence. "I… I'm sorry, Ma'am! It's just that…"

She interrupted his statement, insisting her suggestion. Her voice dropped quite a few tones lower, as to express the unenthusiastic disappointment she attached to his so-far failure. Too many more students would only cause a war, and that was not what she needed. "_Have you checked Shibusen yet? The school uniform should have told you something at least_…"

"I know! Although…" he hesitated, unsure whether to finish the question. Surely he could figure it out without asking?

The woman grumbled. "_I see… you forgot how to get there, didn't you_?_ Did you lose your map, too?_"

She proceeded to explain the simplest directions she could to his next destination. That was one place he had not went to yet. Truly, the only reason he hadn't was because it was a risk. He would only be too obvious. Even when he did arrive, he did not plan on spending much time, else, somebody just might catch on. Still, the man had to accept her order.

-o-o-o-o-o-

As break time came around, everybody cried out in glee. "Finally!" Mina shouted. She jumped up from her classroom seat, throwing her arms in the air in celebration.

Kale shot a glance her way that seemed to express that it wasn't that large of a deal. He would rather be at home, where he wasn't obliged to interact with so many.

The meister began to wonder where his weapon partner was. "_She skipped….. again_. _Probably reading._" By reading, he meant one of her many books on historic characters or eras. It was not his foray, but somehow she loved diving into how days developed to what they were now. Still, this was no surprise that she wasn't present in class. She would merely come to him afterwards, asking about the assignment just last minute enough to get it finished and submitted. She cared, but sometimes only enough to pass.

The boy casually strolled down to the double doors that lead to the outside exit. A breath of fresh air couldn't hurt. As he stepped outside, he grew disappointed in what he saw. Still, too many crowds hung around. "Is there any place quiet around here?" he thought to himself. As he proceeded through the numbers of students, he finally spotted an isolated area where he could relax in silence. The corner looked peaceful, even though it wasn't much to look at, just a corner around the back of the school area.

As he rushed to the unoccupied spot, he turned the corner quickly. He expected to simply plop down on the pavement, but to his surprise, as he cut around it, a familiar figure was in front of him. Kale ran into the man, almost falling off his feet. Still, he managed to catch himself. Once he caught a good glimpse of the man's face, his eyes quickly widened.

"Pink hair! A girl with pink hair! Seen any?" the man quickly asked. Kale knew this face well, only, this time, he didn't have his cloak or brimmed hat on. Instead, his attire was that of a gentleman: a nicely pressed white button down shirt with a black vest over it that complimented his black pin striped pants. This, combined with his immediate demand almost made him for a fool, though Kale knew better than to play around unnecessarily.

The meister panicked to a slight degree, remembering their last encounter with him. "_He's still after us?_ _ Here of all places? Where's Chrona when I need her?"_ Truth was that Chrona was off in a close by wooded area, sat against a tree and burying her mind in her most recent book. At least she wasn't off causing any ruckus. However, he knew better than to show any signs of nerves. Instead, he stood back up, dusting off his blue jeans of debris.

"Sorry…" he briefly stated and shrugged, hoping the man would simply walk away. The man did not follow as he expected, though.

The nicely attired man squinted his eyes a bit and tapped his index finger on his temple, as if trying to remember something important. "I feel like I've seen you before… Do I know you?"

Kale pondered on his confusion a moment. "_Is he serious? We just fought two days ago..."_ The meister was smart enough to stay quiet, though. "Sorry. I'm new here."

The man burst out in laughter. It was the strangest conversation two men could have, and it would get them nowhere. "Oh! Well in that case, never mind!" he shouted as he ran off, leaving no time for Kale to respond back.

Kale let out a breath of relief. He knew what he needed to do: find Chrona and warn her. Of course, the hunter's lack of ability to remember their faces only gave them extra time. Still, it didn't eliminate the fact that they were on his list.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Night had arrived and Soul threw himself on his bed. Today was just what he needed: a break from what seemed to be growing insanity. He purposely kept his head empty of all thoughts. The only exception was the rather entertaining conversation he had held the other night. Still, he wondered how Luna had been able to open him up, as though he were her own Christmas present. Otherwise, Maka had kept her promise: she left him alone. For how long it would be, he didn't know, but he endured every minute of it better than he thought he would.

Not that he had slept the night before, still. However, Soul was grateful it wasn't _that_ that kept him up. He had also begun to feel quite accomplished in his mission to learn to control a fight on his own, but he wasn't quite ready, or so at least _she_ told him. Who was he to trust her judgment, though? She was only the best meister he could have ever had.

He let out a sigh of relief as he lied sprawled out on the neatly tucked blanket. Chrona had fallen asleep already, the television was off, and the night had well passed the hour for visitors. "Finally… some peace and quiet!" Soul rolled over, ready to get the sleep he had long lost already. Just as he closed his eyes, though, _she_ came back.

Just as he had nearly drifted off from reality, a sarcastic voice ran through his head, yet again. "_Thought you could just go all day today without me, huh?"_

Soul pinched between his eyes with his thumb and index finger, squinting in disapproval. "Really, Maka? It's 1:00 am…"

"_Hey, I never said for how long I'd leave you alone. I can't let you forget about me, now._" Her voice was slightly off tonight, as though he had done something to anger her.

His eyes dulled from what was once a good day at last. "What is it already?" This time, he would insist on a quick answer, just to end the conversation hastily.

"_Nothing…_" she answered, her tone obvious that it wasn't true. She knew that this would eat at him. It was his nature to insist until she would tell him the truth.

"Just tell me already. I'm tired of wasting time."

"_You know, I'm really disappointed in you, Soul Eater Evans. I never thought that it would come to this_."

Baffle fell on the man's face. He tried to think back to what she could have possibly been referring to, but the only thing to come to mind was attending a party. "I don't understand what you're talking about… a party isn't that big of a deal. It's not like I wanted to go in the first place anyway."

"_It isn't the party soul… it's the girl. I saw the sparkle in both your eyes while you two were talking. You can't hide it from me. You're attracted to her. How could you go behind my back like that?" _Her voice remained calm in the fashion of a parent taunting their children.

This comment struck at him hard. He saw nothing wrong with what he did or who he spoke to in his choice of manner. "But it was just casual conversation! You're overreacting, Maka."

"_She wanted to hold your hand, and you would have accepted. Don't think for a moment that I've forgiven you anytime in these long years for your last failure… I guess this makes it twice you've let me down now. And to think, you were the only one that I trusted that deeply to love and protect me. Maybe it was a mistake…_" Soul could only imagine the calm, but disappointed look that would be on her face had she physically been right in front of him.

"But that has nothing to do with…" Soul desperately muttered, attempting to gain a winning edge on the argument.

"_You really hurt me, Soul…"_

Her words pierced through his heart and confidence. Images ran through his head, reminding him of the very moment that he couldn't be there when she needed him, despite his every futile effort. "No! NO! I don't want to remember anymore! GO AWAY!" He raised his hands to grab his head, unable to think anymore without hurting both emotionally and physically. Before he knew it, he began to lose his senses. Never had such thoughts had such effects on him before. All before his eyes gradually faded out, and every sound to his ears muffled till he could no longer make out what was happening around him. It felt as though he had lost a part of himself, but couldn't make out just what it was.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Please leave a review to let me know what you think! I've been without my betas, so please let me know how it's been going so far! ^.^ I want to know if you are enjoying it or not so it can help encourage me to continue it! Many answers to be revealed soon! **


	9. Chapter 9 Trials and Tribulations

Chapter 9: Trials and Tribulations

Soul's eyes snapped open. He was not where he expected himself to be. Last he knew, he was comfortably lying on his bed. This was nowhere near as comfortable. Never had he woken up in his own kitchen, sitting on a barstool, leaning over the hard wood kitchen island. At least so it felt like waking up from a deep sleep. However, the aches in his muscles and irritation under his eyes were tell-tale signs that this was no satisfactory sleep. The floor was cold to his feet, the air giving him chill bumps along his arms.

He muttered under his breath a string of unnecessary curse words. "Damn it… what time is it?" The clock on the stove behind him read 4:00 am. "_Forget_ breakfast….. She can make her own… I don't care anymore." Although a part of him still did. Still, he did not care enough to pay attention to that side of him. All he knew was that he was ready to get the day over with. The sooner he didn't have to put up with the masses of students, the better.

He stumbled towards a cabinet, pulling out a mug carelessly. It dropped out of his grip, though, falling to the floor only to shatter into pieces. Soul squinted in frustration, picking up the pieces with his bare hands. "Well, screw you too." He knew this attitude wouldn't get him by in Shibusen. Today he was better off not talking to anybody, unsure if he could truly contain himself.

Finally, after a series of falling in and out of awareness, he managed to prepare a full cup of coffee. Usually, he was satisfied with an average cup. Instead, he chose to prepare two, and throw in an extra shot of expresso in each. Starting today, he just couldn't take the exhausted feeling anymore. His stride had turned to that of a drunk, and his words slurred as though his mouth were numb.

As 5:30 rolled around, Chrona could be heard, romping around upstairs. After the sounds of a shower, she could now be seen running down the stairway. The scent of coffee had her excited. It meant that breakfast was about to be made. Her expectations were that he would already be up, getting ready to cook. "Good morning, dad!" she said, with a big smile.

As she looked on the island counter, though, her face fell slightly. "Oh, I get it! Are we going out to buy breakfast today?!"

This only agitated him even more. Why would he want to deal with the public if he didn't want to deal with any students? He tuned his voice to a sterner tone. "No. If you want breakfast, you're going to have to fix it for yourself." All he wanted was to wake up relatively enough to end what he perceived would be a nightmare. Helping anybody else he didn't have to was out of the question.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her dad was always happy to cook for her all these years. For him to suddenly refuse such a request was quite odd. "But I…" she hesitated, attempting to throw an innocent guilt trip. There were ways of getting what she wanted, and it always worked since she was quite the daddy's girl.

"I said no. Don't question me." To her surprise, Soul's strict expression did not flinch a bit, nor did he bother to look toward her. There was never anything he didn't want to do for her till now. She was what could be called "spoiled", until today.

-o-o-o-o-o-

The father and daughter finally arrived at the school. As he pulled up to drop her off, she jumped out of the car, unsure of what to say. Silence had already filled the air from the moment they left, and it only left an awkward mood. "Uh… have a nice day, dad.. I"ll… be around?" He did nothing but look at her in return. She nervously waved bye, jumping off the bike and running up the steps to get ready for the first class of the day.

Upon finding a descent parking space and escorting himself inside as well, he strolled down, attempting to completely ignore everyone. One face simply jumped right in front of his, making it impossible to avoid it.

"Sooouulll!" Patty shouted. Liz and I are going out for lunch today! Wanna join!?" Her eyes filled with the most glee they possibly could. Her offer was only in effort to help Soul's days become well again.

"Seriously, Patty….You're so annoying …"

"… Annoying?" Patty's eyes dropped to his blunt comment. The comment genuinely hurt her feelings as the excitement in her voice lowered. "I'm sorry… maybe it was a bad idea after all…"

"Yes, it is. You think that by inviting me to go out, it'll make me feel 'all better'? Tough luck, it won't… Now go away and leave me alone. And I don't want to see you crying, either!" With this, Patty left the man's presence quickly, trying her best not to let the hurt show. Never had he said anything so cruel to her before.

As soon as she found her way to Liz, who was casually chatting to Kim, she approached her quietly. She couldn't help but to ask. Wiping at her eyes, she tried to appear as though she hadn't shed a tear. Despite, she simply could not force a smile on her face, even if Lord Death had commanded her to.

"L-Liz…. Am I…. annoying?" she asked nervously, afraid of the answer she might get in return.

Her sister glanced at her with an odd look. "What are you talking about? Who said you were?" Liz knew Patty would never ask without reason. Her chipper and confident attitude was one of the best of the whole school body. It would have to take someone of great power and friendship for such a comment to affect her to that degree.

Through slight sniffling and whimpering, she could barely answer. "S-Soul… if he said it… so it must be true." Her head hung low and voiced dimmed to a sad tone as she expected nothing but agreement.

Kim raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Don't worry about him! I'm sure he didn't mean it." The friendly witch smiled and patted Patty's back. "Who wouldn't love you?" Patty began to find a smile on her face.

"Something's off about him, though… I can't tell what it is, but he's definitely not okay." Liz added. In all truth, everyone had grown concerned, but nobody was brave enough to face the inevitable rejection and denial he would give in return. At this point, it had built up so high that anybody was likely to become the unfortunate subject of his stress relief.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"It's progressed very well at last… this is most satisfying!" The woman stood from her usual spot, grinning. This would be the last time that she dined at the Deathbucks café. She let down her long black hair. Her black dress flowed in the wind with it as she carried a sinister smile. "It's time to retrieve him, before they grow suspicious."

She raised her head for a brief second, signaling her apprentice to follow her. "Yes, Lady Tokima."

"I don't think we'll need our forgetful hunter anymore. We can handle it ourselves now… Unless…." She stopped her stride, closing her eyes for a moment until she once again established connection with the hunter.

"_Jack… you have new orders. You will not be paid to hunt, but rather to protect. It seems your memory has prolonged the purpose you were originally hired for_,_ but your skills are undeniable._" she stated to him with her mind. "_Good job distracting her, though…_"

The hunter grew confused to the order, but obeyed anyway. At least now he had a chance to show his true potential. "_Y-yes madam! But… where are you?"_

"_Forget where we are now. Just meet me at the old warehouse… where we first met. I WONT explain how to get there again…_"

The huntsman began his journey back, retrieving his equipment he had so well hidden, slightly happy that he did not have to continue the wild goose chase. "White hair… lavender eyes…" He gasped in shock. The man finally remembered the description as the girl's face found itself back into his memory… just when it was too late to justify the murder! The lady would be most upset if he did not follow her orders immediately.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Chrona and Jin stood by a classroom doorway, watching as crowds passed. "_I gotta shake this morning off somehow… What did dad think he was saying, getting all serious all of a sudden?!_" the white haired girl thought to herself. Her father snapping in such a strict manner left her fairly upset. Crying on a shoulder wasn't her style, though. "_I know… I'll do what I do the best… find something to laugh at_!" She smirked in a sly manner. There was no doubt she was plotting again. "Hey, watch this…" she said to Jin.

Her eyes followed as a boy walked up to his locker, opening it casually, but narrowly to avoid from letting his items falling out onto the floor. As soon as the locker was open enough to reach in, Chrona closed her eyes a moment. Once again, everything was completely still. She strolled over to his locker, whistling an innocent tune. "Aha! Your secret won't be so secret anymore!" Snatching a photo out of the locker, she walked back, wearing a pleased smile, and took her position back beside Jin. Time once again resumed.

The photo was that of one of the most popular girls in the school. Her hair was long and blonde, pulled back into a pony tail. She wore the smile of an overconfident model. It was ashamed that he himself was no more than an undermined nerd. His thick round glasses and slicked black hair didn't compliment the traditional school attire he wore. In the school world, he would never have a chance with her. The photo was likely the closest he would get.

Just before the boy had a chance to leave, she approached him, tapping his shoulder. He recognized her immediately from his mathematics course. She flashed the stolen photo of his secret love just long enough to get his attention. "How did you…!"

"Never mind how I got it…" Chrona leaned in closer to whisper in his ear. "_If you don't let us cheat off your test today, I'll reveal your secret crush! You don't want to get embarrassed do you? If I were you, I'd choose wisely…_" The boy's eyes widened in fear to the presentation of limited options. He tried to speak, but no words could come to his mouth. In desperation, he fled away. Chances were, he would end up choosing to cooperate by now. "Heh, easy as stealing candy from a baby…"

She walked back to Jin, who stared in amazement. "How did you know about that?! And how did you get that photo?!" Of course, Jin's reaction was an impressed one. The death scythe hadn't even shared with him her great accomplishment. It was too fun taking advantage of having greater abilities.

"Never you mind that, Jin… just take it while you can." The two smiled in satisfaction. The nerd would surely guarantee them a perfect "A" today!

Just down the hallway, Chrona could see Kale, who had watched her abuse of the innocent student the whole time. As soon as their eyes met across the crowd, he shot her a look of disapproval. It was as though he were asking through his body language why her ego had grown so big. The power was easy to corrupt one's mind, and it was doing a good job on her. She simply shrugged her shoulders, returning a look back to him that expressed her lack of care. He was her meister. What reason did he have to tell on her?

-o-o-o-o-o-

The day finally came to an end at the institution. Chrona bounced with joy, happy that she finally had an easy A. "That was easier than I thought… besides, it's not like I have enemies to practice on…" she happily thought. Everybody else had already cleared the hall, save for a few, mainly those that had to wait on parents that worked at the school. The girl opened her locker, stuffed various books into her sack, and shut the locker gleefully, ready to meet her father outside. To her surprise, he was already quickly beside her.

He grabbed a hold of her forearm, pinning his daughter against the wall so she could not escape his approach. "Damn it, Chrona! I told you NOT to abuse your power, you idiot! I didn't raise a DILINQUITE daughter!"

"D-dad… can you please…" Chrona whined as she attempted to squirm out of his hold. Her father's grip was rather strong, stronger than usual. The fury in his eyes began to bring tears to her eyes, not because of what she had done, but rather because never had he shown any sign of violence in his methods of punishment before. She was afraid of what he might do next.

"Loosen up? No! You're going to get what you deserve… I should've never let you become a Death Scythe!" he screamed back.

Just then, Kid's voice interrupted the upsetting scene. "SOUL! Let go of her… _now_… "

"I can handle myself! This is not your business to meddle in." Soul glared back at the Shinigami, his hand still held firmly onto Chrona's arm enough to keep her ahold.

Kid pulled Soul off Chrona and in return, pushed him against the wall, glaring deeply into his eyes to reassure that he meant business. "This is enough! Never did I imagine you would treat _anybody_, much less your _own daughter_, like this…" Soul, swatting his arm in front of him, swiped off Kid's grip off his shirt collar forcefully. "You WILL meet me in my office, and now!"

-o-o-o-o-o-

The two men now sat in Death's office, across from each other. The only thing between them was the clean space in the midst of the desk top. Each set of eyes stared into one another in ways that created nonstop tension, one with the look that could kill the brightest spirit, the other with the taunting look of upsetting disappointment.

"I've had enough of playing around. I've been informed about your recent behavior. Tell me what's going on." Kid began. Kid was more concerned than angry, but after the sudden change in his attitude, he began to worry more about the safety of everybody around him. A sense of intentional violence, both mental and physical, as well as a lack of discipline seemed to come over Soul. Something had to be done, and now.

Soul sat, still staring intently back, his sense of stubbornness overriding the obligation to answer. "I don't have to say a _word_ to you. There's _nothing_ to tell! Now just leave me alone and let me go home. Chrona's waiting for me." Today he felt rather bold and brave. No longer was he afraid of what anybody had to say about his behavior. His heart emptied of all worry. Responsibility and care was no longer a factor. The only reason he put in any effort to be there was for Chrona, but even she had proven it to be pointless now. "_Maybe I should tell them about the conversations with Maka… Heh, then again, it doesn't even matter anymore."_

A moment of silence fell between the two. Kid knew he wasn't going to talk. He wasn't sure what Soul's motive was in staying to quiet. Did he think it would show weakness? Was he disillusioned in thinking that he was still okay? Or was he even aware of the changes in his attitude?

"Don't worry about Chrona. She'll be staying after hours with Marie till she's learned her lesson. YOU, on the other hand, are in no mental condition to handle it right! I've been trying to give you a chance to calm down, but you haven't. You've grown worse! Until you're willing to talk, I think you need some time away. At this point, you've become almost useless to me. You're just a danger to the student body, now."

Soul filled with rage to the Shinigami's suggestion. He was sick of orders and had finally decided he would take no more. The death scythe stood immediately, letting the chair fall behind him. "You don't have to tell me. If I'm such a failure, then I _volunteer_ to leave! Enjoy cleaning up your perfection again!"

As he turned towards the doorway, a parallel red and black blade was formed in line with his right arm. He swiped it the weapon across Kid's desk in his anger. The perfectly symmetrically lined decorations on each side, left and right, flew off the surface. As the blade scraped across, it left a clear, diagonal scratch deep enough to reveal inches of the layers of the wood underneath. Even a buffer and polish couldn't fix it now. Without a care of his violent reaction, Soul slung the office door open, leaving without permission or a good bye.

"SOUL!" Kid shouted in frustration, attempting to grab his attention again to stop the man in his tracks. It was too late, though. "_Soul_….. _you_… you ruined my perfectly symmetrical design! " All the sympathy he held onto so desperately in hopes to help the man left his heart in that split second. Every inch distance was perfectly measured between every item on the surface, that is, until Soul intentionally ruined it all.

Soul continued to storm away the institution until he reached a far enough distance away from the school's steps, just realizing that he completely left his motorcycle behind. It certainly would have helped him to get away faster, but it was too late now. "Forget the bike! I'm not going back…" He sighed, balling his hand into a fist.

As he stood still, his mind began to wander again. His daughter was still there. Still, this was no large concern. She knew how to take care of herself, and sometimes too well at that… the fact was, she had done just what he warned her not to do: abuse her power as a Death Scythe. Still in midst of the thought, something else was more worrying. Three words couldn't stop ringing in his head. "You've become useless". Over and over, the phrase wouldn't escape his thought, repeating until he almost couldn't take it anymore.

"_Look at you. You failed Death as an accomplice. You failed me as a protector. You failed me as a spouse. You fail me as the father to my only child, whom does whatever she wants, regardless of other's feelings, just like a delinquent. I trusted you with everything…. And you ruined it. What are you going to mess up next?_" Maka said in Soul's mind, reminding him of all he had managed to forget till now.

Soul could do nothing more than accept these words, as he kneeled down in a pain that engulfed every muscle in his body, unsure if he can handle the pressure. He was resisting something deep down inside, but what it was, he didn't know.

In the shadow just ahead of him, a beautiful figure began to approach him. Her dark hair waved in the breeze and her face shadowed by the light that suddenly shown behind her as she came into the open. It was like an angel approaching him, a glow surrounding her silhouette. "The pain has become overwhelming, I see. Can you stand, Soul? Let me guide you to safety… to a place where you can rest from that cruel institution." This face was not familiar, but her words sounded to be kind enough, at least, certainly much better than the screaming he just received.

Little did he know that this was the very lady that sat outside the Deathbucks café every day. Neither did he pay full attention to make out every word she had just said. All he knew in his exhausted state of mind is that she offered him a place to rest from it all.

Moments later, back in Kid's ruined office, Black Star came running in, but stopped immediately, gawking at the horrible mess. His breath was heavy from running. "What the… you mad or something, Kid?"

"It's Soul… I don't know what's happening to him." He already gave up on his frantic rush to return everything to their symmetrical design. It threw him into a sense of mourn, his head dropped on what surface was still intact. Glass was shattered, items cracked, and even worse, the desk irreparable.

Black Star's expression turned to that of concern. "That's just it… We have to find him!" He threw a worn looking journal on the slashed desk far enough for Kid to reach, his eyes narrowing in seriousness. "Read it."

"It's too late…. he walked off already." The Death God picked up the journal, skimming the first page. Immediately, his eyes widened in shock. He couldn't believe the content. "I've… I've made a mistake!" he exclaimed, recalling the angry words he had shot to his friend. "Useless… danger… _failure_… what was I thinking!? Let's go, Black Star… there's no time left." Kid stood quickly, his hands held down in fists of determination. There was no way he was going to let one of his best friends fall down in front of him if he could help it.

**Any reviews are much appreciated, so I can improve or continue to keep you guys entertained! ^.^**


	10. Chapter 10 Revelations

_**January 24, 2035**_

The search for Soul turned out to be quite futile. Every room, hallway and yard around Shibusen was frantically looked completely through with no results. Even Black Star thought to go by his house, but still, not a soul in sight. Soul had truly gone missing.

To Kid's lack of knowledge, he had already been swept away to what he perceived to be his savior from all the distress that had been occurring around him. It was all too much to handle, the failure to appease Maka, his daughter's growing mischievous way, becoming what was now useless to even Death himself…

Kid almost felt sorry for Chrona, but that gave no excuse to simply let her actions slide. Her abilities were quite apparent to him, as he could see through her soul, and she had quite the gift! If she wanted, she could get out of detention right now. What she did with her power had the capability of making or breaking.

Kid hated to devise such mechanics, but it had to be done. Upon her wrist was a bracelet that kept itself firmly attached. Its purpose had been to restrict her abilities until her heart changed to a better path and could not be removed until then. Not even the best pair of scissors would free it off her wrist.

The invention was mocked at the time of it's creation for the very reason that it was opposite of what a Death God would want to accomplish. Now it didn't seem so thoughtless, though. Without it, she would simply continue to romp around all she wanted. Ultimately, the price, in due time, could only lead her down a path of corruption. It was for her own good, whether she realized it or not.

"Soul, I wish I knew where you were… I can only hope it's not too late." He sat in the classroom across the hall. Kid was tired of looking at his damaged desk. It would be over, soon, though. He stood back up, strolling back into the detention room.

Chrona could be seen laying her head into her propped up hands, eyes closed. Her eyes popped back open though in a sudden change of thought. "_My book! That's it… everybody else gets to read here_…" The girl reached under the desk top, pulling out a novel, and began to contently read. She was quite enjoying herself, until Marie snatched it from her hands.

A strict voice interrupted her newly found concentration. "I don't think so…"

"But… it's just a book! Why am I not allowed to read!?"

Marie smirked a bit. "Because, you would enjoy yourself entirely too much. Here… this will keep you busy!" She slapped down a small stack of sheets. Math problems! The same dreaded ones she had merely copied off the nerd for an easy grade, only this time, with no partner to cheat off of. "Consider it a makeup test!" The woman smiled down at the white-haired girl as happily as could be, laughing maniacally as she walked back down to the front.

Chrona huffed in frustration, eyes squinting. How could she smile at this?! The irritating bracelet wasn't helping either. "_This woman is crazy! How am I going to get out of here!? I can't stand it anymore_!"

Suddenly, the door opened. It was Kid, beckoning Marie to step outside a moment. The woman took the invitation and stepped out.

"You look… worried, Kid. Everything okay?"

Kid sighed as he looked back into her eyes, expressing the urgency of the matter. "I need a favor… I'll explain why in the meeting tomorrow, when everyone is together."

"A meeting? What's happened, Kid…? I can see the look in your eyes!"

"Don't worry about it for now. I need you to look after Chrona tonight. Take her home with you. Soul…" He felt the need to explain himself, but he didn't want to worry her, at least, not for tonight, while Chrona was with her. "Soul won't be able to make it home tonight. In fact, don't even worry about the detention today. Just go home now."

"I see…" Marie knew there was more to it than that, but didn't want to pry further than necessary. "Of course, Kid, I'll do it" she said with a pleasant smile. There was no need to act depressed over something she knew very little about now that she had a teenager to watch.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Marie's residence was a small tidy apartment, smaller than the house that Chrona was accustomed to. She kept it well cleaned, with many photos of her friends all about. The two girls walked inside, one happy as could be, and the other with a look of malice. "Welcome home! I hope you find it comfortable enough!" Marie stated with a beaming smile.

Chrona muttered under her breath as she recklessly dropped her back on the floor and made her way to the hallway entrance. "Yeah, YOUR home... I'm just going to go to bed now…"

"So early?! But I was hoping we could play some games or watch some movies or something!" Marie begged. Rarely did company stay the night, and she intended on taking advantage of it, even if it was with a teenager!

"_This could get me out of having to finish that stupid test_…" Chrona decided to take the invitation after all. She changed her impression to a glad one. "A movie sounds great, come to think of it! Just let me shower first?"

Marie jumped with joy. "AWESOME! Oh, and the bathroom is the first door on the left!" She tossed a clean shirt and shorts from the laundry basket beside her to the girl. "Sorry it's… all I have right now!" Marie blushed a bit as Chrona caught it and stepped in, shutting the door behind her.

Upon returning out, her white hair lay down just below her shoulders in its wet state. The black t-shirt Marie gave to her nearly fit her perfectly, landing just below her bottom enough to reveal the seams of some pink shorts. Chrona glanced back into the tidy living room, where Marie had many DVDs pulled out and lined up to pick from. "_Ehhhh… don't tell me we are watching all of those_…" the girl desperately thought to herself, almost regretting the decision.

"Oooh you're out! Come and pick one with me!" Marie exclaimed in excitement. She smiled in glee as Chrona strolled over, and plopped onto the maroon couch relentlessly.

"_None of these look interesting. Mushy stuff…_" Chrona thought again, relentless about the idea of staying up all night with Marie. "Umm…. This one." Truthfully, she didn't even pay attention to which one it was when she picked it up bluntly. After extending her arm, she winced in pain slightly, embarrassed of the discoloration that developed, as well as the restraining bracelet that just wouldn't come off. The girl had forgotten about the ugly mark until it was too late.

Marie glanced deeply with concern. "Your arm… it's bruising… What happened?" she asked. It had the appearance as though someone gripped her unnecessarily in an act of domestic abuse. Her thoughts began to wander to the possibilities. "_I shouldn't pry, but this looks like… oh, what am I thinking!? Soul wouldn't do this to his daughter. He's done nothing but spoil her all this time!"_

"Oh, um… nothing, really. Just another fight with a boy! He was just stronger than I thought he would be…" Chrona hesitated for a moment, laughing nervously, wondering if Marie would accept the excuse. Truth be told, the woman was right. The daughter had no idea what had suddenly got into her father today or why he reacted the way he did. She quickly pulled her arm back, covering it with a pillow.

Marie lifted an eyebrow, questioning the truth to her answer. "I see… well, I hope you learned your lesson, then!" Her expression changed back to her typical positive one immediately after deciding not to ask into it further. "At any rate… it's MOVIE TIME! Oh I LOVE this one!"

-o-o-o-o-o-

_**January 25, 2035**_

As another day came around, despite the events that had occurred, classes couldn't simply stop. Chrona and Marie arrived back to the institution. As they did, Chrona noticed something familiar. Her dad's motorcycle was still parked right where it had been left. The girls' face frowned in disapproval. "_What was so important that you had to make me come home with Marie_?!" she pondered, still angry at what he had said and done to her.

Glancing back down at her arm, she couldn't help but remember being pinned against her own locker forcefully. Thank goodness it was a long sleeve shirt she wore! Other students might have pried into her business or made fun of her if they saw the ugly mark on her skin.

As Marie settled down to her own business before the hordes of students were expected, Kid was busy urgently stuffing notifications in various cubby holes assigned to the staff. "Oh hello, Marie! Did you enjoy your company last night?" The shinigami smiled pleasantly.

Just before Marie could answer back just as happily, a loud exclamation was heard. "YAHOO! What's this, Kid? Special mail, huh?!" Black Star shouted, leaping to the cubbies immediately and pulling out his own notification. He was just as lively as though nothing had happened. His expression toned down quickly after reading the notice, though. "No luck, huh?"

-o-o-o-o-o-

"_They're going to come looking for you, Soul… after everything you did and said, they won't seek anything but revenge._" Soul took in these words as he sat in darkness. Even he didn't know where he was now. Could it be true? Had he messed up so bad that Death wouldn't accept him? It had to be. Why else would Death accuse him of being so incompetent and command him to leave?

And that voice! It wouldn't go away. It wouldn't leave him alone. As every day passed, its influence only grew stronger. Soul resorted to the last bit of hope in the back of his mind. "Kid will understand… won't he?"

"_Understand? If he had, he might not have shouted in such hatred to you. Or perhaps he was even using you until he realized you weren't capable of fighting on your own? Don't you know, even a Shinigami like Kid despises quitters and failures… it's just too late for you that the deed has been dealt already_."

Soul drove his head further into his knees as he sat in fetal position. "No…. NO!" Perhaps if he had not lacked a week's worth of sleep, the weapon might have thought to defy the messages. It had all grown too strong, though. All he desired was to get away from the feelings of regret, guilt, inability, loss… and to finally find a peaceful rest. Something was slowly, but surely taking over.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Everyone was sat at the long table in attendance to Kid's urgent meeting. Now that students were on their way home, it was safe to discuss things without creating a bad air among the students. They needed not to know everything that had been occurring, or they, too, would go into a state of fret. This was something that only the staff could handle.

"Everyone, I've gathered each of you for this mandatory meeting for an urgent matter. How do I say this…? Any one of you could find yourselves in trouble at any moment." Kid began. This was no time to play around. His face wore a look of seriousness that threw everyone into concern, as though some new Kishin had arisen.

Liz interrupted her meister's speech after noticing an unusually empty seat, Soul's seat. "Trouble? Wait, where is Soul? He should know, too!" As caring as she was to this suggestion, little did she know that Soul himself _was_ the very issue.

Kid frowned in pain, not to the comment, but to the fact that his own friend was truthfully a victim. "That's just it… he's become a danger to us all. If you run into him, you must avoid from saying anything that might anger or depress him. He's likely to attack at any time."

"I don't get it… I mean, I know he's been emotionally stressed, but how does that put us in trouble? Certainly he's not _that_ violent…" Patty's eyes shifted to the floor as she remembered the comment that he so rudely left her with. She did just as he said and left him alone. Was it really possible that this was about more than a mere comment?

"No, he's not. However… he's been put under a spell. If you haven't noticed yet, Soul's been pushed into more than he can handle on his own, and hasn't shown a single sign of wanting to discuss it. It's built up to a dangerously high level, and we've been left in the shadow of it all. The spell has directly linked the heightening emotions to increase the strength and potency of the madness of his black blood. The more he goes through, the more the black blood takes over. Read the proof for yourself."

With this comment, Kid threw the tattered journal containing the records. In it read how each day of observance brought him closer and closer to the recent occurrences. No author was listed, leaving each and every one in wonder of who the mysterious intruder could have been.

The meddling girl just outside the door gasped, covering her mouth with her hand so she didn't make a sound, throwing herself back against the wall. "_Black blood?! Within my own dad?! But the books say it was completely extinguished after the battle with Asura..._" The meeting continued as Chrona leaned back in to listen in further.

Tsubaki reached for the book, skimming through the pages just enough to catch a glimpse of the whole picture. "This is… no way…" She quickly dropped the journal, unwilling to read any more.

"Yes, he's been driven insane, between his own unannounced guilt of his wife's death, lack of companionship, his own daughter's recently worsening behavior, exhaustion, and feeling of incompetence. It's all done nothing but contribute to the growing insanity."

Chrona's eyes widened further to the mention of herself. She whimpered slightly in shock. "_I… I've been driving him mad the whole time? Dad… could I have really…?"_ She could feel her eyes welling up in tears, but quickly wiped them away with her sleeve before they could fall down her cheeks. The girl didn't leave her hiding post, still. Perhaps the Shinigami would reveal an answer to it all. "_It's my fault… so I have to do something!_"

Marie pondered for a moment. "There's just one thing that boggles me. If his black blood has been activated in such a strong manner, how did it not get noticed? Certainly anyone with the ability to detect souls should also be able to detect the madness…" Her point successfully caught everyone's attention. Yet another mystery to unravel. This was no ordinary doing.

Kid was ready to conclude his speech, unsure of what else to say on the matter. What else was there to say without any answers as to where Soul was, or what could be done to stop it? "I don't know... At any rate, he's no longer here at Shibusen, or at home. My guess is he is with whoever started the ordeal. I have one additional request. Don't let Chrona hear any wind of it. I don't want her worrying about him."

"Certainly Kim can find a way to null it out?" Spirit suggested as he turned his gaze to the small framed witch. Even she knew she couldn't, though. There was a restriction on the curse that even she couldn't break.

"Impossible. The details in the book outline that the only way to break the spell is the demon-slayer wavelength, which died fourteen years ago along with Maka. No one else has been noted to carry it, not even her own daughter."

Spirit threw his hands on the table in frustration. "How do we know that's all factual!? At least try to talk to him, somebody, anybody! If it'll slow down the progression, then it's better than doing nothing at all!" He grew furious to the lack of options available to save his only son-in-law.

"We can try, but I doubt he'll even let even me get that close now… I…." The Death God paused, his eyes shifting downwards in shame as he began regretting the last words he left to the Death Scythe before his disappearance. "I… said some pretty harsh things to him." Kid couldn't help but to feel guilty for Soul's sudden departure. If only he had known before!

Everyone grew silent, unsure of their choices. Right now, all that could be done was to keep their eyes out, protect themselves, and watch what they say or do to him. Kid continued on. "I can't guarantee successful results, so I'll let you know now. If confronting him doesn't work, we may be forced into facing against one of our best… Be prepared."

Outside the doorway, Chrona could no longer hold her fear behind. She jumped quickly from the door side, fleeing out the school exit. As soon as she found herself outside, she stopped in panic, unsure of what to do next. A familiar item caught her eye though. Soul's motorbike! Chrona scrambled to it, running her hands everywhere in search for keys in the midst of her sobbing.

"I'm an idiot! A stupid baka girl who doesn't know her own father!" she shouted, giving up on the search for the keys. The girl threw herself over the bike, unable to hold herself back from crying. "Dad! What am I supposed to do!?"

She jerked her head back up as an idea came to thought. "_Kale! I've got to find him_!" She glanced down at her wrist, of which still had the restraining bracelet on. "That's it… I'll hot wire this, and…" Chrona kneeled down, carefully making the right steps. Suddenly the bike's engine roared. She quickly jumped on. Her eyes full of determination, she revved it up and took off. Full speed to Kale's it was!

Just as the motorbike's engine sounded, Marie stood and ran quickly out, only to catch enough a glimpse of the girl disappearing into the distance. "Chrona! Wait!" The woman sighed, finally realizing that Chrona was already too far away to catch. She returned back to the group immediately. "She heard… looks like we have two Evans to find now."

Suddenly a familiar face burst into the room. The shags of his brunette hair, still untidy as ever had already grown slightly in the month and a half he had been gone. It was also apparent he hadn't even taken the time to replace the worn and beaten blue jeans and Shibusen t-shirt he so religiously worn. Holes let his knees peep through, seams beginning to tear apart. Even Death's well known logo was fading off. The boy had been through intense things.

Baby blue eyes stared into the crowd in a serious, yet calm, intent. Had he really changed that much in such a short period of time? Even his new attitude radiated that he meant business. Everyone's expression turned to shock, especially Black Star's in particular. "I know where he's at…"


	11. Chapter 11 Familiar Faces

Chapter 11: Familiar Faces

**Please review after reading! It would help greatly to know how my readers are responding so I can assess what I should be doing to make the story go even better! ^_^**

Chrona finally arrived at Kale's residence. His place was a fairly small, single floored worn out building, but it was well enough to accommodate himself and his parents. Like Chrona, he, too, was an only child, only not so demanding. The boy was essentially the polar opposite of her.

She turned the motor bike off, wiping tears away from her eyes quickly so that none would see she had cried. Leaving the bike on the side of the street, she jumped off and quickly ran around the back of the brick building to where Kale's window was. Knocking on it frantically, she wasn't sure if he was home or not.

There was no immediate response, though. Maybe he was napping? The girl began to turn away, but just before she had the chance, the window opened. "…I was studying" the boy stated to her.

"I… I'm sorry… just that… never mind." She hesitated, trying not to resume the sniffling that would give her emotions away. Chrona turned to walk astray from the window, but before she could, her meister had already grabbed her arm to pull her back. He could see that something was off.

The weapon's eyes winced in pain as she pulled her arm out of Kale's hand. "Hold on… I'm coming out." Now he definitely knew something was wrong. Never had she come crying to him in this shape. Everyone else had done the crying while he was the one to scold her.

The two met outside his front door. He took her arm gently and rolled up her sleeve, examining the marks. "What happened?" Tonight would probably be one of the few nights that he did some descent talking.

"Nothing… look don't worry about it." She really didn't want to expose her own father as being so violent, nor that she had actually been hurt by something.

He looked into her eyes intently. "You didn't come for no reason." She wasn't playing or joking around, so it had to be serious.

She could only sigh. He was right. After all she had heard, she knew it wasn't her father's fault. He didn't ask to have a spell cast on him. "It's my dad… he's… in trouble. He's had a spell put on him so that his black blood strengthens with every bit of stress… and I only encouraged it…" She explained the contents that she overheard from the meeting she had spied on.

"Black blood? But I thought that…"

"That's what I thought too… only, the worst part is… he… he can't be saved without my mother's demon slayer wavelength! I don't know what I'll do if I lose him too!" The girl threw her head down into her hands, losing the strength to avoid from giving into another downfall of tears.

Kale wrapped his arms around her so she could cry into his shoulder. Sure, Chrona wasn't the most behaved student, but even she didn't deserve to watch the only parent she had fall into the clutches of madness.

She paused a moment, looking back up at him. Only, this time, her eyes told a different attitude. "This may sound strange, but… I sort deserved to be told on."

Kale nodded to the acknowledgement. "You were falling, so I picked you back up…"

"So… we're partners still?" she asked in return, sniffling from her emotional recovery.

Kale once again nodded, a smile creeping up on his face. He was proud to see his weapon learn her lesson. He extended his arm out, offering a hand shake. Chrona accepted, also finding a smile of hope. As soon as their hands let go, the restrictive bracelet that was firmly attached immediately fell to the ground and deactivated.

"My… my power! I can use it again!" She jumped up in joy, as though it were Christmas. Her glee fell quickly, though. "Only… what good is it if my dad might have to die… it's all my fault!" Chrona dropped back down, sitting on the front steps of the shabby, but homey house.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Kid walked back into his personal office, painfully gazing at the broken status of his once symmetrical design of an office. Now he had to find the perfect desk…. again. The last shopping trip he took, four hours were spent just examining every grain of the wood. He sighed in disappointment, but not because the damage wasn't repaired. Well, perhaps a little.

What concerned him more was that he did not want to lose one of his best friends, meaning Soul. Something had to be done, though, or the instigator of the whole ordeal, of which whom was still unknown, would only get by with more. If he could nip it in the bud, then perhaps Shibusen, even Death City, could avoid any damage the madness might draw about.

"Well, Beelzebub, we meet again…" Kid smiled at the thought of riding the board once again. How long had it been since he _truly_ needed it? The shinigami grabbed the board from its glamorous display right in the center of the back wall. When sitting in his chair, it would align perfectly with his upright body.

Prior to retrieving it, the meeting that had taken place resulted in an agreement that they would all gather in front of the double doors. From there, the young boy that somehow seemed to know their destination would lead them to what might be an inevitable battle. Kid only hoped that Soul would understand.

At last, the group had made their way to the front exit of the school. Kid decided to wield Liz and Patty, even if they weren't in their death scythe status. Sure, as a real full-fledged Shinigami, he had the opportunity to use a real death scythe, even in Soul's absence, but to carry a large scythe, Spirit namely, might only entice Soul even more.

Spirit had been assigned to stay at the institution with intentions to guard it in the case that Soul had returned early. Even a father-in-law's words might help to sooth him down a bit.

"Are you _sure_ you know where he is?" Kim inquired to the shaggy-haired ex-student. She began displaying signs of uncertainty and distrust in the boy that had so quickly appeared in the midst of their discussion.

Sloan nodded silently, returning the distrustful gaze. He wasn't his usual destructive misbehaving self. Rather than a mischievous smile, he carried a look of serious demeanor. He meant business to the point that he wasn't even concerned about searching for his crush, Chrona, again.

"Prove it!" she continued, crossing her arms in front of her while shooting a glare his way.

He narrowed his eyes back just before turning his back to her to avoid the harsh pierce of her eyes. The two clearly did not like each other, nor trust each other as far as they could throw themselves. Who could blame them, though? They had only just met, and not exactly in the best of times, either. "And what if I can't do that right now? Chill out already. We have more important things to do."

"Doesn't _anybody_ else feel weird about letting a two-star trouble-making meister who _quit_ Shibusen just come back and tell us where to go?" Looks of suspicion crossed as their eyes met again.

A moment of silence fell as Sloan refused to provide an immediate answer. He was growing impatient with her lack of faith, as seen by his look of frustration. Did Death trust him out of desperation? Would it lead to their expectations or send them astray?

Nobody knew what to say in response. Kim was right. It was strange to be following an undergraduate student. At the same time, though, they knew that something had to be done, and nobody else had any knowledge to offer, besides what was written in that ragged journal.

Kid broke the momentary awkward silence. He did not feel prepared enough for the possibilities, knowing Soul's downfall was not the plan of a lone individual. "I never thought I'd be the one suggesting this, but… no one here really understands the effects of the madness right now. Marie, you need a meister, right?"

"I… I guess. What are you suggesting? Sloan handles me?" Kim glared at the thought, but who else was there to do it? Her eyes filled with confusion. Never had a two-star meister who'd never created a death scythe been instructed to handle one!

"Even better… there is one who can easily relate to the insanity, and who has actually worked with Soul quite a bit." Kid suggested. "Just maybe… _he_ might prove to be quite effective in this matter, as long as he can keep his own control."

The words brought a smile to Marie's face. The detour would prove to be quite an interesting one.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Kale and Chrona sat outside the house, still, upon the small solid three tiered stairway leading to the doorway. At last the girl had let out all the tears she could. She was left in a melancholy state. What was there to do or say? The last hope of what could have saved her dad didn't seem to exist anymore, not even with Death himself. The time, as well as Soul, had merely become a ticking time bomb.

"You know… as I was riding… I… sort of had an idea." Chrona hesitantly began. Her partner looked into her eyes, trying to guess at what she was thinking. "You know how I can pause…" The girl glanced down to the ground, slightly embarrassed. What was she thinking such crazy ideas for? "…ah… never mind. It's… just something ridiculous."

Kale pulled her chin back up so the two were looking at each other again. "Go on…" The weapon laughed shyly.

"You know how I can pause time? Well what if I could... go back into it, too?"

"That's dangerous to do…"

The boy was right. No time travel story ever turned out how the main character had planned it. "I know! Heh, silly, right? Something that's only seen in movies and books… It's just that, if I could go back it might save him."

Silence grew between the two again.

Chrona's face formed a look of determination once again. She was tired of mourning, and ready to take action, even if it meant risking her own life. "I'm going to try it…"

"You do realize that it's a big risk. What if you change something to the worse?"

She stood back up quickly, fists thrown down. "It can't get any worse than this… so I'm not going to sit here and let my own father go crazy like this!"

Kale sighed. "_She's still brave enough to chance it all…"_

She began to stroll back to the bike. Kneeling down, she began another attempt to hotwire it once again, still with no keys. "Do you at least have any plans as to _how_ you are going to achieve it or the physics it might involve?" Kale asked her.

"Physics!? How can you ask about physics at a time like this?! I know they're important but…" she retorted angrily. In her mind, it felt as though he was chastising her methods. Truthfully, he was only trying to watch out for her. Right now she was as good as a blind man running through a field of mines.

At last, her mild rage calmed down. "I'll figure it out as I go… not like that spell is waiting on me to study it first. I got my power to use it for the good of humanity, and if…" A look of emotional pain came over her in the middle of her heroic speech. "If stopping my dad from going mad will help… then it's my responsibility… "

"_Who am I to deny her right to at the least try? And besides, it won't work on her power alone, after all. Who knows, maybe it'll turn out to be a fun trip?_" Proceeding to stand beside her, he once again placed his hands on her shoulders, gazing down at her in reassurance.

"I'll go with you, then. I _am_ your meister." His confirmation gave his weapon a large smile once again. Somehow, this gamble started to feel like it was going to be fun after all.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Finally, the group of six arrived at their first stop. Above them, a large sign hung, reading "Death City Mental Facility." It was a rather old, but secure building, wrapped wires and sharp studded metal grids lining the top of the rather tall brick walls so one couldn't climb it without injuring themself.

"Stay here… no… meet me at the back." Kid instructed. They nodded in return, making their way to what would be side of his escape route. The Death God continued through the entrance, however. After checking in, he made his way through the gleaming white halls. Lining them were doors with minimal window space just large enough for a set of eyes to peep through.

Death could hear mutters of insanity, obsession, and requests for company. The inmates often grew quite lonely, resorting to fulfilling their own disorder needs, since nobody dared to chance visiting. At last, he stopped by the last door on the right. Kid peered through the small window. The room was well padded with not a single sharp object in sight.

There he was. Pulling the key he stole from the guard on duty, he activated the padlock, which released the heavy steel door to open. A man in a white lab coat could be seen, acting out a scene as if he were in a hospital, surgically operating on a patient and babbling on about various medical terms between outbursts of laughter.

There was a point in time that everyone thought he would be okay and had learned to manage his own natural insanity and desire to dissect or perform bizarre experiments every living creature he saw. Marie's presence soothed Stein well enough, too, that all remained in acceptance for his odd ways. Soon after Kid's rise to the title of Lord Death, however, things had fallen downhill.

Typically, he never intentionally tried to harm any of his students. In fact, he adored them, as they seemed to be the only way to comfortably have somebody to love. In the years of his own aging, though, he began to yearn for more than simple medical procedures, despite Marie's presence. Conducting strange experiments on various creatures turned into a hobby that never ceased to freak everyone out, though it never affected his excellent performance in Shibusen.

In a matter of time, though, Stein grew even bolder than he had ever been before. He brought his experiments to the class. Not just any single animal, but many. Students did not know how to react to such requests. Few tried to work with it, but many refused, due to the inhumane nature. He did not take the denial lightly. The man grew unable to withhold his desires any longer.

Stein threw threats that if they did not perform as he instructed, it wouldn't be the animals to suffer… it would be them. The first word that passed surprised Kid greatly. Why was he threatening his own students? The teacher should have been abiding by the requests and approvals of the institution to _protect_ them!

Even after minor therapy sessions, his lack of self-control still found no repair. It was then that Kid was forced into deciding that the man was no longer healthy to have around if his own students were at risk.

"A new patient I see!" Stein shouted from the safely cushioned room. His voice lowered in less than a second. "_It's your turn to be dissected_…" A maniacal laughter followed as he held a wide grin and turned the large screw that rested aside through his head.

"Actually, I have a different plan to propose to you."

"NO! Nothing else will satisfy…" The doctor began to give Kid a look that was all too familiar with his victims. His hands were fumbling about in secret wishes for a lab tool kit.

Kid hesitated. It was crazy, but it was the first thing that came to mind to convince him not to hurt the group. "Actually, I have a much more entertaining patient waiting for you." Inside his mind, he was slapping himself for daring to make such a remark. Risking his own friend's life like this… why would he possibly want to encourage this?! He was supposed to be _saving_ Soul, not subjecting him to experiments!

No matter, it worked, as he noticed the doctor's glare turning into that of extreme interest as Kid continued. "Indeed… a much more challenging one! You still enjoy a good fight, don't you?" If the plan went differently than expected, all he would have to do is deny the man a weapon and capture him again, claiming he had escaped on his own. At least his madness wasn't contagious like the black blood.

Stein became giddy at the thought, smiling in a fashion that could kill at first glance as he rubbed his hands together in a plotting manner. Kid knew the man would remember when he finally got around to seeing Soul's face. Even better, letting him help eliminate their opponents was even better.

"Good then… follow me and I'll have you right out to freedom..." Death stuck his head out the door, peeping from side to side. Just across from them was the exit to the open back yard where patients regularly received a chance at open air, or at least the ones that were sane enough.

The shinigami motioned for Stein to follow him. The man ordered his command, and the two quickly came to the exit. Once again, the key was swiped, unlocking the door. Stein walked out casually, examining the surroundings. There was only one guard out, of who seemed to be pretty preoccupied on his phone. As soon as he turned his back, Stein nodded towards the Shinigami.

"Jump on! And try not to kill any of us… I'll let you know who your… patient… is when we get there." Kid commanded, pulling out his hover board. The two flew off on it with barely enough room to stand, leaving the clearance scotch free.

As they cleared the tall brick wall, landing right back in front of the party once again, a smile found itself on Maries face. "Welcome back, Stein…" she said, greeting him with a soft welcoming gaze.

**Again, please leave a review if you can! I want to know what you guys think, if its going good, if there are any recommendations, anything you have wanted to see, or if you are enjoying or looking forward to the next or not! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater, any of its characters or concepts!**


	12. Chapter 12 Of Bravery and Challenge

Chapter 12: Of Bravery and Challenge

**I do not own Soul Eater, any of its characters, or concepts!**

**Please review! I want to know if you enjoy it or if you have any recommendations, so I can improve the story! =**

-o-o-o-o-o-

The Shinigami and his small group of meisters and weapons followed the shabby undergraduate to where he claimed their fellow friend and fighter could be found. The trail seemed to lead to an abandoned town just outside of Death City. Some gazed about nervously while others let out a breath of relief that they did not have to face their opponent around innocent citizens.

At last, they stopped by a rather large warehouse. Everyone examined the surroundings, beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable. "W-what is this place?" Liz asked. Patty merely hummed a happy tune, unscathed by any of the eerie scenes that they had come upon. Finding a sick giraffe on the brink of death would bring about a closer reaction than this.

Kid was the only one who didn't seem to be in shock and fear. "Havella City… it used to be one of the main production locations for local goods. It was designed especially for small production and transportation. The town succeeded well in its reputation, until bizarre events of mysterious deaths began occurring. Quickly, rumors began that the place was cursed. Slowly, but surely, the citizens began to leave until all were gone. Now the rumors are that it's haunted throughout every street, so it remains abandoned. I'm not shocked this kind of event would take place here… where no one expects it."

Liz ran behind him in fright. "S-s-so then there are g-ghosts everywhere!?" Clinging onto Death, her whole body shook as she imagined the countless floating white spirits that might be around. The typical Liz she was. He chuckled lightly at her display of fright.

On the other hand, Patty was laughing her head off. It almost seemed as though her lungs would come out at any moment, as she made funny faces, her thumbs in her ears, fingers wiggled out, and tongue sticking out. "Ghosts are cool! When I die, I wanna become a ghost, so I can be with you ALLLLL the time, Liz!"

"N-no! Th-that's not funny, Patty! Where's my Eli when I need him most!?" By this, she meant her fiancé. The girls face was frozen pale from even the thought of even the smallest ghost passing by her, whether it intended any harm or not.

Still stopped, Sloan pointed to the warehouse, remaining silent yet. He needed no words to tell them they had arrived at last. Kid's golden eyes gave an awkward look. Sure, it was no surprise that it could have been a warehouse, but something was still off.

Stein began to grow impatient. Of course, this was to be expected. "I don't see anybody, Kid… I don't see anybody! Where is that patient you promised me?!" Hands began to twitch, fumbling about straws of grass that had been carried along the whole way, weaved about in an intricate stitching pattern. If the doctor had not occupied his hands with even such small entertainment, the whole group would be under his experimentation by now.

Growing nervous of what the insane doctor might pull, the Shinigami had to sooth his curiosity somehow. At this point, he was quite thankful he had not given the man a weapon yet, namely Marie. "My soul perception can't sense anybody here… are you sure this is the correct location?" he inquired to the shaggy haired boy. What was strange was that he couldn't detect even a human soul, much less any madness of black blood, beyond those that were with him. Even with Soul Protect in use, anyone in that warehouse should have been seen at least in another form.

"Yes, I'm sure of it. He's there… and accompanied by multiple witches, now, too." Blue eyes narrowed as though his vision were looking through the walls. Sloan was being serious as serious could be, a rather odd state of mind in comparison to the many gags he pulled on others as a student.

The Death God squinted in slight confusion. How did Sloan know, or was Sloan even correct? '_Is it possible this boy is capable of seeing beyond Soul Protect?'_ Kid wondered, daring not to ask yet. _ 'Even if he does have the soul perception, he hasn't gained that much experience, yet_…' Still, he had to continue on. It was the only lead they had.

He continued his speech. "It's best you weapons stay in weapon form for now. If he's truly in there, Soul's stability and control is unpredictable." Everyone nodded in confirmation.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Spirit paced around a bit in front of the school entrance. Sweat dripped down the side of his face, dampening a few strands of his brilliant red hair on each side as the sun still shone on. "I will not leave this post! I will not leave this—wait… I'm the only one here!?" The red head smacked his forehead. "Really, how does he expect me to watch this whole area by myself!?" He highly doubted the son in law that had fallen into madness would return here.

Suddenly, a spark came to his mind. He grinned from ear to ear. Death always told him to stay out of his personal office space, due to the fact he knew that if anyone were allowed in there without his presence, the slightest bit of symmetry would be ruined. Nobody saw it as perfectly as he could, and he knew when somebody had been in there…

Spirit gave a slight maniacal laughter. The scythe secretly desired to continue defying the rules, and there was nobody to see it today. He snuck back inside, tip-toeing. 'Wait… why am I trying to be quiet!? It's alllll me today!" Picking up his pace, he began to whistle a tune of satisfaction. He continued until he reached the door that entered Death's domain.

"Today I get to find out what it feels like to be the Death God!" He shot the door open with one shove. His eyes closed, still continuing the whistling tune, he strutted around the desk, running his left hand along it as he reached the backside. The scythe plopped into the black spinning chair, throwing his legs atop the surface and his hands behind his head confidently.

"Now THIS is the good life!" Somehow, it didn't feel straight though. It was more so like his legs were snowboarding down a hill! His eyes opened when he realized he had just received a splinter in his heel. "Ow-t-t-t-t-t… What the hel-" He stopped his speech as soon as he noticed the broken status of the desk that he thought for sure would have been in perfect condition.

He fell out of the chair in shock. "Kid wouldn't have done this! He's too…" Lost in thought, he finally understood. "Soul? …I didn't know you were capable of this, now…" Of course, he was referring to the fact that the man rebelled against the Death God to the point of ruining his own space intentionally. There was no doubt that Soul's blade was sharp enough to cut through this even further than it had, especially in his state of the madness and strength of the black blood.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Deep within the warehouse, a heavy sigh came from the beautiful witch that once spent her every day at Deathbucks. "Really, where is Jack? I told him to meet me here long ago… has he already forgotten the change in his mission? The useless man…" She cackled in a high pitch manner. "Of course, it's not like I can't handle it myself!"

It was all because of her that the poor death scythe kneeling in the shadowed corner had no idea what to say, what to do, or what to think. It was thanks to her ability that made the man think he was talking to his own dead wife. The fact was she found it quite amusing to toy with him, as she wore a smile in admiration to her accomplishment.

She began to hear a slight bit of speech outside. As footsteps outside came to a halt, she returned herself to attention. Closing her eyes, she located the forgetful hunter. Once she spotted his location, her words began to feed into his mind.

"Really, Jack, where are you?! I thought I told you to protect the area!" Enough was enough. The hunter no longer deserved a reward for his services. This far in the plan, and he rendered no better results than a bizarre killing spree of the _wrong_ victims…

On the other end of the conversation, Jack could be found pacing around in front of what used to be the local mayor's grand house. "I'm here, just as you told me to be, my lady! Only… I can't find you!"

"_You idiot! I didn't say the mansion… I said the warehouse_!" This made him blush in embarrassment. "_Warehouse… mansion… the words don't even sound alike…_"

He dropped to the ground, kneeling and bowing in a bout of merciful begging, as though she were right in front of him, even though it was merely a telepathic transmission. "I-I'm sorry, madam! I'll be right ov-" His speech was cut off immediately by the irritated woman.

"_Don't worry about it… They're here already, so just go home. Do whatever you want… I'll handle it myself from here on out._" Her condescending voice continued to echo in his conscience. "_Hell… kill the girl if you want to… I don't frankly care anymore. I have what I want now_…" She licked her lips in a lustful desire with a sinister smile as she slowly turned her eyes to face the man nearly completely lost in insanity, rocking in the corner nearby her.

Suddenly, the huntsman's lips began to quiver, unsure of what to say in response. "I-I can prove myself!" He looked as though he were about to cry! The witch's words were so harshly spoken, after all the time he had spent serving her, but he didn't mind that aspect so much. This time, it was all or nothing! He would show his self-worth, even if she asked for it or not.

With this new found determination, he leapt off through the barren streets and alley ways to where she resided. "I can remember it! I can remember it!" he encouraged himself.

Back in the large warehouse, the witch scolded herself for even hiring him. "Men… you can't rely on them… Especially _Jack_…" She cackled a bit with a bold confidence. "He'll never find his way here anyway… that forgetful bastard, wasting my time!"

-o-o-o-o-o-

As Kid's group entered the abandoned warehouse, everyone began to cough mildly. Engulfing them was an air filled with dust that had collected over the long period of time. The many windows high above gave way for plenty of light, with exceptional nooks and crannies that were particularly dark in comparison, almost so dark you couldn't see if the space continued or not.

Just that quickly, the double doors shut in an instant, as though to lock them in, leaving the last half in the shadow again. The loud shutting thud surprised most of them, especially the women, as they jumped slightly to the jarring sound.

"I knew it! I knew it! There ARE ghosts here, and they just shut us in!" Tears fell like waterfalls from Liz's eyes.

"Oh my, seems we're trapped…" Tsubaki added. Not that it calmed the nervous girl gritting at her nails.

Patty stood in front of her sister immediately, wearing an appeasing grin. "Then I'll protect you! I'm not scared of no ghosts!" The rest remained silent, as to not disturb anybody they might not want to face so soon. Kid shot a glare to the Thompson sisters that shut them both from making any further futile disturbance.

As they continued to walk through, their eyes gazed left and right, attempting to examine every section they could.

Though Sloan had claimed Soul's presence in the place, nothing could be detected… until a familiar voice scoffed in the darkness of one of the shadows. The Shinigami knew it was him. Soul… but what was he doing hiding away, he wondered. It was then that he knew the spell had already dealt a great deal of damage.

The first to break the new found silence was, of course, the almighty Black Star. "We're here for you, Soul! Now get your pansy-ass out from the shadow so you can come back with us!" Tsubaki quickly covered the blue-haired assassin's mouth so he wouldn't make any more ignorant mistakes. His voice was one weakness he never failed to retain. If witches were truly present, then he may as well have doomed them.

Soul didn't take lightly to the assassin's demand, though. In Soul's mind, he knew what he needed to say and do. No matter how much he tried to implement it, though, his body wouldn't follow. It was as though the pain in his heart had taken over any rationality. "Go away…." the low voice stated calmly.

Kid ignored the request, still. As he continued to approach him, still, Soul's outline could be seen standing up, hunching his shoulders and head towards the ground.

It seemed as though all were fine, until Soul popped up straight and burst out once again. "I said… GO AWAY!" An invisible wave shot outwards from the white-haired man as he shouted and swung his arm out in front of him. It threw Kid off his feet, as he nearly flew back to the door. The weapon had not forgotten what the Shinigami had told him, retaining quite an abundance of anger.

"I'm not here to hurt you, Soul" Kid stated in attempt to comfort him in his intentions. It did not sooth the death scythe as planned, though.

Soul merely smirked in return, fully aware of what Kid was prepared for. "No?" He laughed under his breath. "Then why do you have your weapons ready?" the scythe muttered, accusation in his voice and attitude.

Now Kid knew that it was a good move to leave Spirit behind. If two twin pistols, small as they were, looked like a threat, then what more would a large scythe provoke? Kid nodded towards everybody in indication to return to their human forms.

The voice of his wife still had not left Soul's mind. It continued to push him even more, despite the attempts for peace from his friends. "_What kinds of friends find you just to harm you? They can't be trusted anymore, and this proves it. Who's to say they can't simply transform back on the last minute when you fall for their trick?_"

"Listen… about what I said earlier…" Kid began, hoping to finally get somewhere with the confrontation. Perhaps asking for forgiveness from the harsh words he had spoken before might assist. However, he was merely cut off by Soul's immediate defense.

"It doesn't matter anymore, Death! _She was right all along…_ Don't think you can take your words back so easily! Maka… Chrona… _You_…"

Kid's eyes widened in shock. Had he really gone this crazy without anybody realizing it? "_She? Maka? He's been hearing the voice of his dead wife all this long?_"

"Soul! None of this is your fault! You didn't let anybody down… you're not a disappointment to anybody or anything!"

The man only broke out in laughter of insanity in return. "_Don't throw me a pity party_… failure is no longer an option, right? …and I'm going to prove it…"

-o-o-o-o-o-

Chrona and Kale had found themselves an isolated location, so as not to disturb anyone. Ironically, it seemed to be near Death's old apartment, where parties were consistently held. Luckily enough, nobody was in any mode to throw a gathering. The girl sighed in relief that nobody resided there any longer, still. Neither was sure what the effects of attempting to perform such a time leap would be, and they didn't want any innocent bystanders to suffer the possible consequences, or much less freak out.

Kale shot a look towards his weapon partner. His eyes expressed the question of how they were going to achieve such fathomed idea of time travel, awaiting a comment from her.

She was slightly thrown off with the fact she had no idea how she was going to do this. "I… I've… never done anything like this before…" Laughing nervously, she tried to think back to her previous moves. "I mean… I know how to pause the time, but, going back…" Her hopes were that he could jump in the conversation with an idea that might spark something.

"How did you stop time?"

Chrona thought back to when she had paused the very minutes that passed before. How could she have been doing it without recognizing just what gave her the freedom to do so? She placed her finger over her lips, going deep into thought. The more she dug into her mind, the more she paid attention to what she felt and saw those many times before. Thank goodness her memory served her well!

"Three… it has three, Kale…" He only looked back at her in confusion from the lack of detail. "That's it! I… never gave great attention to it before!" She had seen it before when it was stopped, a single amazingly powerful soul that seemed to exist far beyond she could imagine. With it accompanied two others, faded as though they were there, yet unreachable and unable to grasp a hold of. The girl wondered how she had never truly paid attention. Of course, maybe that's because she was too busy devising mischievous plans to perform on others to care what any of it stood for. But no more would she take advantage of others in such a distasteful manner.

"Time… it's a whole separate entity, with three souls, and somehow I connected to it… I took a hold of the only one I could grasp at the time, and held it still." She felt idiotic saying it, but how else could she express it? The three souls she had seen were beautiful, more beautiful than any girl, flower or sunset could be. Great power resided in them, and yet she had only felt the smallest portion of it.

The weapon thought back to anything that might relate. Her mind scanned each story she had relished in the past quickly, until one in particular stood out, the Norse mythology of the three Goddesses of Time and Fate. Did they really exist? They had to. If a Death God could, then why not them? Upon the realization, she threw on a look of confidence and determination. This made her meister smile with a gleam of hope. "Resonate with me, Kale…"

Kale pulled out a ragged piece of paper and pen. Gazing at his watch, he noted the time and day as accurately as possible. Chrona's brow rose, wondering if this was really necessary, but shrugged it off. He well noticed her questioning look. "Just in case…" he noted to her as he stuffed the paper back safely in his black leather wallet.

Kale then nodded, following the command just as he caught her weapon form in his hands. It was out of habit that she transformed. Whether it would make a difference seemed irrelevant, but at this point, it didn't even matter. The girl simply had to do whatever she could to save her father- and Shibusen. The two resonated at last. Kale could sense the change in her heart. She definitely carried a different attitude after the hurt of hearing about her father's dilemma.

There they were, in her soul, as three beings of power that stood before her, as if proceeding in judgment. They were adorned in intricate dresses, almost that of royalty, but a bit more majestic. But how did they appear so different this time? Further, how did Kale not see this, but she could, even in the midst of their resonation? The beautiful figure on the left strolled to Chrona, looked into her eyes, reading the fears and thoughts running through her head.

The Goddess cupped the weapon's face gently into her hands, offering a smile as though she had been satisfied with the girl's thoughts. As the woman's eyes closed, Chrona felt a new power running through her. With this, the three figures faded out.

Chrona did not understand entirely, but it was clear that a pathway had been opened. They needed not to speak another word. Despite what little or lot had been given, the girl would take anything she could get. At last she saw into the events of time itself as they spun around her, displaying images of the moments of her, her father, Kale, Mina and Jade, everything she knew to be true.

Her thoughts went deep into her heart. What was it that she wished to see? She wished to go to a time when Soul was not so cursed. Maybe… just maybe, by stopping whatever caused his sanity to leave him in the first moment, today could end well. Right as the desire crossed her mind, a blinding light engulfed her and her meister, forcing them to close their covered eyes and miss just what was happening.

Within the same instance, on the other side of the battle, where Kid, Tsubaki, Black Star, and remainder of the crew fought, set aside Spirit, whom had followed his instruction to stay at Shibusen, the rebellious brunette teenager among them perked up instantly, looking behind him. The soul of his beloved crush and her meister faded in the far distance. It didn't feel the same as fading into death, however… it was different, as though she had simply vanished from the world he knew.

Just as the light faded away, they opened their eyes once again. She went back into her human form immediately, anxious to see the results. The scenery seemed to look no different, though. A sigh escaped from under Chrona's breath. Failure… The same trees, the same buildings, the same cool afternoon breeze. "Again!" she insisted.

"Don't judge it so quickly… listen…"

That's when they heard it… music from the Shinigami's old apartment nearby… it sounded so familiar, yet, at the same time, how could it be playing if their trip into time had become a let-down? They had made their attempt when nobody was around, so how somebody had managed to start such a celebration in that short amount of time, she didn't understand. Kale broke the silence of confusion.

"Chrona…" he began, glancing down at his watch. It was a rather fancy item, probably the most expensive thing he was wearing at the time, lined in brilliant silver and gold. His family wasn't rich, but on his birthday, they quite enjoyed gifting him with nice things he could appreciate. Not only did it display the time, but it also gave the date and day of the week, and never ceased to function even when dipped in water for extended periods of time.

As soon as she gathered his hint, she rushed over, grabbing his wrist and wrestling it around in an awkward way so she could look at what the expensive watch read. Kale's face wrenched in an expression of discomfort as she held the wrist still, examining what it read. "Kale! Maybe we didn't fail after all!" Quickly, the boy pulled his wrist out of her grasp, rubbing it slightly to relieve the stinging sensation before she could sprain or break it in her excitement.

"Then the music…" Chrona thought a minute more. Finally realizing where she heard the music, her eyes lit up in revelation. "Kale! It's from my sixteenth birthday party!"

Suddenly a voice could be heard in the distance, singing gleefully. She quickly grabbed her partner's arm once again, dragging them into a heap of bushes so they would not be seen. As the singing got closer, it became easier to distinguish the words, until the figure stopped on the dirt path just where the meister and weapon were hiding.

Chrona covered her mouth quickly, as to not make a sound. Attempting to peer through the mass of leaves without rumbling any limbs, she could only see bit and pieces. More so, was their presence sensed?

Suddenly an outburst of satisfied laughter broke the peaceful air. Out of her pocket came one of the smallest vials of clear liquid seen. The woman twirled it around in her hand so a small tornado formed inside the tiny bottle. She began to speak, but thankfully only to herself. "Enjoy the last day of your freedom… soon you will be _our_ Death Scythe…"


	13. Chapter 13 Persistence

Chapter 13: Persistence

_**December 5, 2034**_

Chrona and Kale kneeled down, hidden in a swelled group of green-leaved bushes alongside the dirt path not too far from Kidd's evacuated, yet not forgotten apartment from before his decendence. A young woman's feet could be seen, adorned in simple black traditional shoes. "Enjoy the last night of your freedom, for soon, you will be _our_ Death Scythe…" she began, before humming a merry as though she had already succeeded in her mission. "Nobody will ever suspect!" A gleeful laugh prompted her to start skipping off. Her forest green sleeveless dress, designed in a sun-dress fashion, waved in the short bouts of wind that rustled about the leaves and bushes. Her legs were covered by leggings in a fainter shade of that of her dress, only, designed in a scale pattern.

This was who had done it! It had to be… and so she had to be stopped. Chrona broke free from her meister's hold and jumped out from the shrubbery. "No, they won't, because you're not going to make it!" The girl wasn't smiling, grinning nor smirking as she had been known to do. Instead, a heroic speech suited.

Right behind her came the young boy that handled her. His height more than matched that of their newly discovered antagonist. His gaze shot downwards, noticing the nearly innocent look she threw back.

The innocence faded off, though. Nothing could be said to distill or eliminate the words she had so clearly spoken. "You're Evan's little girl, aren't you? If you're trying to become a Death Scythe, I'm not your target…" A snicker came about her face. "Or, perhaps it's this you want?" With this, she held up the small vial of clear liquid, stirring it about in front of the weapon's eyes.

Chrona attempted to swipe the substance from her hand, throwing her arm across swiftly to grab it. However, it wasn't fast enough. The woman had already snatched it from Chrona's reach, holding it outwards, adjacent to her shoulder, then tossing it over her head so the other hand caught it and stuffed it back into her pocket.

Instinct kicked in, and Chrona immediately transformed into her chained weapon form, gleams of gold and silver reflecting against the sun's still bright rays. "Not just for my father…" she began. "…But also for Death City! For preservation of peace!" With this battle cry, her partner threw himself forward, forcing a rather strong attack. The witch stood still, waving her arms, opposite of each other, in a circular motion.

As Kale's attack reached an impacting point, though, the weapon could go no further. Something was blocking it! The unexpected shield threw the pair back, taking in consideration the power that had been thrown in the attack from the beginning. Since Chrona's ascendance to death scythe, the two had found that it was not so hard to pack a good punch anymore.

As the pair flew launched towards the witch once again, she raised her arm into the air. What appeared to be shell-like scales developed in the air above her head. Once all that would seem to develop were whole, she threw her arm down forward, in a motion to throw them like projectiles at the weapon and meister. Kale attempted to dodge through them all in order to remain in a forward motion, but the large amount forced him back.

At last, every piece had passed by and they were clear to continue advancing to their opponent. "I wouldn't be so confident, boy…" Upon this comment, the young man looked behind him immediately. Thanks to the panther witch's power, he and Chrona had gained heightened senses, and it was telling them that the scales had come back. Only this time, they did not simply pass through. The countless shards enveloped the fighters, rotating in a globe-like fashion, leaving no space for even a single human to pass through.

Just as the woman grew confident in the trap she had placed them in, the small vial of the cursed liquid fell out of her pocket. The meister, whom had noticed the lost treasure, had finished plotting his next move. Their resonation meant their shared thoughts, so he needed not speak for his weapon to understand. He quickly threw her between the small, but free slots, letting go completely.

The white haired girl quickly returned to her human form. This had well grabbed the witch's attention; however, by the moment that the woman had turned around, the glass was already broken under Chrona's shoe. Kale stood in shock as to how she had done it so quickly.

"Fight me all you want… It's just ashamed you can't _actually_ kill me… death would be most disappointed if you broke his precious peace treaty…"

"I don't really care about that right now." Chrona exclaimed in disappointment. She would have much preferred to just kill the witch, but who knew what results that would bring? "I'm here to do what I have to do!"

The two sets of eyes glared into each other as though they were fighting a battle within their mind. Their eyes narrowed, they never let their gaze off each other. The witch dressed in green transformed, shrinking to the size and shape of a turtle after releasing the shards that kept Kale trapped within. Chrona immediately stomped her foot on top of the hard shell, pushing it down into the ground so it couldn't get away.

"I don't ever want to see you again…." With this, she kicked the shell with all her might, sending it flinging into the air at a great distance. Kale stood in shock as he watched it fly away far enough that it would eliminate the witch's chance of catching back up to them. She so desperately wanted to kill the witch, but the woman was right. Doing so would only cause a larger war.

Meanwhile, in the party that currently went on inside the Shinigami's apartment, Death's head perked up from where he stood, arranging each cup so that they had even spacing between the rims and bottoms. Soul, whom was sat at a table nearby, noticed his sudden attention. The death scythe made his way to Kidd upon the apparent alert. "What's up? Everything okay?"

"Yeah… just a strange vibe" he replied. Something was off, but he just couldn't quite put his finger on it. It felt like a disturbance in the air, one that might make a larger difference than one might note.

Just outside the apartment's window was Kale and Chrona. It was by the weapons insistence that she had to check on her father, as well as her desire to jump in the party once all was clear. So far it seemed like he was happy and healthy. The girl smiled at the results. Kale nudged Chrona's side just before she became so engulfed in the celebration scene, and pointed to where they had been dancing at the time.

Just as their previous selves almost noticed them peering through, Kale pulled himself down below, along with his partner. It was now apparent that when they came back to this date, they had travelled entirely in a physical manner. Now there were _two_ of Chrona and _two_ of Kale! "Looks like we can't stay in this time, Chrona… its highly doubtful that doubles of the same body and soul can exist in the same time frame for too long."

"R-right… then let's go back!" It disappointed her a bit, seeing that she couldn't simply do anything she wanted without the fear of interrupting with their past self. She pouted slightly about having to leave the party so quickly, but smiled again, knowing she had just stopped her dad from falling into the trap of insanity. "You know, it was smart to write that date and time down after all, Kale… I think we're going to need it." This was why she admired him so… he took the precautions that she didn't care to think about, and many times his seemingly over-cautious personality was actually what saved her.

Suddenly, another familiar being came running up. He panted, as though he had been running from something. That shaggy haired boy again. "You! Wait… why aren't you dressed for your party?"

Chrona raised her brows a bit, trying her best to hide the faint smile that began to develop. How long had it been since she saw him? At any rate, this would likely be the last time. "The party? I'm not here for—" Kale elbowed her side just in time so she couldn't ruin their purpose. "I mean…" she started, clearing her throat in order to stall the answer, giving her just enough time to come up with a lie. "I'm just not ready yet… I… I lost my dress."

"Oh! Well then…" he spat through his grin. "What perfect timing then… I challenge you!" His baby blue eyes were simply anxious for a fight.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, you challenge me to a fight so you can win my heart if I lose… sorry, but I have more important things to do right now. Maybe later." Well, at least she only said so to stall him from seeing their ironic duplicates, whom were too busy getting down on the dance floor. "Look, ah… if you…. If you don't leave my party now… then I'm going to send my dad onto you, who happens to be in there right now!"

This threat made the boy's eyes widen. Soul was a well-known death scythe, with capabilities that could overwhelm his opponents without even touching them. "O-oh… how did you… know?" Chrona grinned at his shock. "Well then… I'll be back! I'll win you over somehow, some day! I swear to it!" He finally ran off.

Chrona chuckled a bit as his figure disappeared in the distance once again. "Really now…" She let out a silent sigh, watching till he was completely gone. Somehow, his persistence was admirable, but she refused to let it get the best of her. "Well, Kale, now that that's taken care of… we should really get back now."

-o-o-o-o-o-

_**Back to January 25, 2035**_

Chrona and Kale successfully found themselves back in their present time. Coming back was much easier than leaving. The odd feeling of disruption within Chrona had ended. Something about being in an alternate time put a butterfly or two in her stomach. Her partner was right. They belonged to this time. As of then being the first time they had actually succeeded in such a move, she was yet unsure of just what the limits were.

At that moment, Kale cleared his throat, breaking her bubble of thought. "We should go back to the school and check on things. We still don't know how else it's affected today."

"R-right!" Chrona nodded quickly, a beaming smile on her face from the satisfaction that she had finally made a difference. Nothing could make her happier than to see her dad smile once more! They quickly made their way back to Shibusen, where they expected to find the last bit of higher ups leaving to make their way to their merry home for the night.

Upon arrival, though, the school seemed rather empty. As the two partners walked through the clear halls, Chrona shouted out for Death. "Death! We're back!" The abrupt shouting was interrupted by her grandfather's fast scramble to smother her in hugs. He ran down the hall ways faster than he had ever gone before. Before she knew it, red hair rubbed itself into her face. "Grand… pa!" The girl finally shoved his grip off.

"CHHRROOONNAAAAA! I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU!"

"What are you talking about? I only went back to save Dad! He's here right, safe and sound?" Her eyes gleamed at the thought of the chance to apologize for all the trouble she had caused, even though he wouldn't likely have any clue what she was referring to since the spell had been dimmed out.

Spirit grew very silent though. Something was still wrong. "About your dad… he's not here. What you heard back there…" The meeting, listening in on it, learning about the tragic events taking place… now she _knew_ something was off. How was it that this was the same day she experienced before they had gone back, even though she faced against the conspirer that caused it?

"But I… I stopped the witch! And.. and I broke the potion bottle! " She ran past Spirit, grabbing the book from the conference room, where it had been left last. Breezing through the pages, she panicked. Nothing about today had been changed. "I don't get it! It shouldn't have come to this! What did I do wrong!?"

-o-o-o-o-o-

Stein had, until now, remained a little more silent than his usual mode of insanity, namely his obsession to operate and experiment, until now. He hung his head low, chuckling to himself in a realization. That's right… the patient… the one that Kidd promised… was here right in front of him. The white hair, the crimson eyes, the jagged-toothed grin… it all came back to him. He possessed a madness that only the doctor himself could truly understand, as a natural carrier of madness himself. The promised battle… was one of insanity!

Despite Kidd's silent command for all weapons to return to their human form, Stein went rushing in towards his newly understood opponent. The Death Scythe, once again, did not take this action very well, and it was seen well in the growing irritation in his glaring expression. Not only were Kid's actions and the haunting voice of his wife upsetting enough, but even Stein had it out for him, too, now.

In any normal circumstance, he could have simply tossed it aside, not giving it the slightest thought in an attempt to stay "cool", but after the progression the spell had already caused, the effects of his black blood became irreversible. He could not stop his emotions and thoughts from carrying on beyond what they should have.

In one swift action, the professor packed in a hefty punch in combination with a mild touch of his own personal power, Soul Menace. The unexpected move threw Soul off for a moment, successfully contacting him with enough force to toss him back into his corner engulfed in darkness.

Kid grew concerned over the un-thoughtful decision. "Stein!" With this, Black Star quickly took voluntary action. For once, it was a decently smart move, aside from his loud mouth, considering the situation. He brought himself to the professor, whom was rotating the large screw inserted through his temple. "Oh no you don't!" The assassin took a hold of the professor, pulling him back with a grip on his arms so he could not break free through a simple reanimation of his initial attack.

As he was dragged back into the crew, Kim strode forward, a smile on her face. It showed a sense of care, yet a hint of satisfaction. Nobody was sure what to make of it.

"Kim! What are you doing?!" Kid exclaimed in question.

She disregarded his demand, continuing her stride until she found herself face to face with Soul. "Why, claiming what's mine now…" With these words, her entire being took on a completely different shape. This was no longer Kim standing in front of him. Mischievous laughter came about her as she laid her right hand upon his left cheek gently. "The unstoppable madness… you can feel it in your veins, can't you? It really would be much easier if you simply stopped finding a purpose to fight it, then you would be truly free…"

As she turned about to face Kid once more, the light revealed her identity. There was no mistaking that hat with its outward sticking tongue and bulging round yellow and black spiraled eyes, the short brown bob, the grape colored eyes. Alas, their _real_ opponent had finally been revealed, as Lady Tokima stepped by her side just after giving a respectful bow.

Sloan's eyes intensely stared into what were Kim's moments ago. The two kept the lock for a hard moment. She knew he could see her true identity the whole time, even though the facade appearance, otherwise, there would have been no other reason to create such a distrustful relationship between the two. He was an unexpected threat that shouldn't even have shown up in the first place. Her hopes were that by expressing such lack of faith in him and suggesting an alternative logic, the Shinigami would overlook Sloan's opinion, but here they were anyway.

"Angela… how… why!?" exclaimed Liz, who found herself recalling the happy memories they had together. All these years, and to think that Angela… who had not shown any signs of the sway… would abandon them.

"Explain yourself, you low down witch!" added Patty, throwing her hand forward to point aggressively as she stood bravely.

Angela only continued to laugh at the girls' taunts. However she came to silent halt before continuing with her explanation. Not that it was necessary. She was merely riled up, ready to take in their shock. "You see… while everyone else was busy basking away in their false sense of security, or what you know as the peace treaty, I was perfecting my own abilities just for this moment."

The witch waved her hands about in the air, as if using them to continue conversing her story to the Deaf. "All I had to do was blend into DWMA as one of you… and by disguising myself as your precious Kim, there was no need to maintain my Soul Protect. Your trust had already been developed towards the girl, so I knew you wouldn't question me." A great confidence came about her now that she exposed herself.

Kid grunted angrily. '_Of course… the Chameleon witch_…' He wasn't sure how much more standing around he could do, as it had wasted time already, but perhaps this information would assist in helping him save his white-haired friend. "You never seemed to be affected by the sway before! Why now?!" The Shinigami's voice was rather demanding.

Angela retorted just as forcefully. "The sway!? _That's_ what you think this is about?!" A maniacal laughter broke out once again. "This is about _revenge_…" Kid knew just what she meant by it. Mifune. There was no other possible motive. "Don't think for a moment that I've forgotten about what you did to my best friend, my mentor, my protector! For that, I will take yours in return…" The woman's eyes roamed to glare at each and every force that stood against her, stopping to stare especially at Black Star.

"You won't get by with this, Angela!"

"Oh, I won't?" Yet more rhetorical laughter amongst the middle of her speech. "It's too late to save your precious Death Scythe now, you pathetic assassin! Without the demon slayer wavelength, there is no hope. The madness of the black blood will once again rule the world, and _I_…. I will be its queen…" She leaned closer against Soul, whom still was still lost in the inability to fight what the curse had brought about. It was like inking a perfectly pencil drawn photo. Once the mark was applied, there was no erasing or going back; it was there for good. He was only dwindling down further as the debate went on.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Maka…" Soul broke in, interrupting the argument, but not in such a manner to speak to them. Rather, he had begun speaking to himself, the voice that seemed to invisibly haunt him. To hear the desperate cry caught everyone's attention. They had been too busy verbally fighting amongst each other to notice his desperation and internal fight for the whole ordeal to at last be over.

In fear of hurting his own friends, he had almost thought to simply kill himself off. At least that way, nobody got hurt, but something inside still wanted to hold on, even if for nothing more than his own daughter. Somewhere, he still held faith that one way or another; his friends would come through for him, even if he fell completely. "I can't take it any longer, Maka…" he spat out in a voice of exhaustion.

The weapon abruptly found him-self sitting in the elegant chair within the black room of his soul. His usual pin striped suit, black button down dress shirt and brilliant red tie adorned his body as it always did when he was here. Funny, it was, of all places, here? How long had it been since the last visit? Years, really. Even now, the demon didn't seem to be present, or at least unseen. Instead, in front of him, an image of his wife, of Maka… she appeared out of the shadow, as though just arriving.

That's when she began to speak again, only this time, with more gentle words. "Soul… you're in pain." The combination of the black silk body and black sheer sleeves of her dress was just as beautiful on her as it had ever been. Her jade eyes gazed into his. This was all he ever wanted, to see her, and see her happy, even if at the price of his own life.

"Couldn't tell a bit…" An answer of sarcasm for a blunt comment. He braced himself for a book to the head, something he actually missed quite a bit since she left from his life fourteen years ago. A moment passed, with no painful impact to give him any splitting headaches. That's when he looked back up at her. Rather, she stood closer, offering her hand to pull him up.

He was weak, though, inside and out, from fighting day after day not to burst out on his friends, his family. "I… I can't do this much longer" he exclaimed in exhaustion. The end of his strength was coming on, with not an idea of what he could do to save the inevitable end of insanity. Maka took a hold of both his hands anyway, pulling him up with her own strength instead. Her arms wrapped around his waist so he could lie on her shoulder to remain on his feet. "I miss this. I miss you. I miss being content… why did you have to leave me so, just to turn around and accuse me so harshly?"

Her gentle voice rang on. "The truth is, you need me, Soul… I can be your strength. I can lift you up again. Just say the words… and I'll do it." Maka smiled, but not as gently as she had a minute ago. Out of Soul's site, as his head still rested on her shoulder yet, she held a smile of intent, knowing that everything was going as planned. This was the final straw that would complete it.

"How… when you're not supposed to be here?" Soul inquired. Her being here baffled him, giving him questions as to whether she had actually died, or simply walked away so all would think she really had passed on.

"Don't question my existence, Soul… just trust in me, like you always have before. Give me all your fears, your doubts, your pain, and I'll carry it for you." Her offer sounded warm and welcoming, like a mother singing her child to sleep.

There was nothing more to do. Now he could at last rest… really rest. The countless days of which he had lost every ounce of sleep was catching up now. Even energy drinks and expresso coffee shots couldn't give him what he needed to continue on. He hugged her even tighter into his chest. "I trust you, Maka…"

Just as he spoke these words, of which all had been said aloud in the old warehouse in front of all, his eyes opened, slowly blurring back to what was physically happening in front of him. It was Kid, who continuously shook him by his shoulders in hope that he would wake from his dream. Kid's words slowly but surely became more audible to his ears. "Soul! That's not Maka! Don't listen to it!" It was too late, though. Angela had nothing but a smile of satisfaction as she watched his futile pleas.

Back in the black room, he felt his body fall into his wife's arms and his eyes dropping nearly till they were completely closed, losing the ability to stay alert. No longer had he any control, as his last words already sealed the deal. No longer did he have to bear the burden of all that brought him here in the first place. He gazed upwards just before he lost all consciousness within that black room. This was no longer Maka… the image shifted into that of the demon that had nagged him so often before, only, much larger in size. In that instant, he was out completely, as if in a state of comatose. This... _this_ was the overwhelming force that had been growing uncontrollably inside him the whole time. It was all in the demons hands now…


	14. Chapter 14 Condemned

_**Forgive the length of time it has taken to update! . I've been major multi-tasking, but hey, it's here at last! This whole chapter is dedicated especially to Soul's "incident" about Maka… so… read, cry, throw your fist on the table, whatever you have to…. And…. Let me know what you think! Remember, YOUR reviews help me improve (as well as keep me motivated so I know people are reading! . ) **_

_**Ownership disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater, any of its characters or concepts!**_

**January 7, 2021**

The couple was quite happy where they sat. The comfort of the brown suede couch, as well as the body heat that swayed between the wife and husband proved to be quite warming in the cold bustling weather they had experienced. Atop the exhausted woman's lap lay their young daughter, at only nearly two years old.

Soul glanced over, a loving touch in his eyes, towards the pig tailed woman. They had been married for almost five years by now. Staring into her Jade eyes never ceased to bring comfort, knowing that she had nothing but care for the man. The first three years of their marriage were pretty normal, as though the daily routine hadn't changed. Defending the Shibusen students and institution was like breathing. Their perfect resonance had prevented a good many attacks from even getting close, as it gave them the confidence and team work to accomplish just about anything.

After Chrona's arrival, they had decided to settle down slightly, in desire to give their daughter the feel of a normal house hold. Soul's family offered a wealthy life for the daughter's years to come, but such an offer was turned down. The father already knew that strings were attached, the same ones he had to abide by. No, Chrona would not have to live like he had, forced into the obligations to fulfill her relative's expectations, and for that, he couldn't accept their help either. Here, all she had to do was live for her-self, the sort of life style the death scythe had yearned for in the duration of most of his own childhood.

As Soul found himself lost in thought, a silent soft snore was heard from beside him. He chuckled a bit, but only in admiration. Maka grew exhausted from the activities of the busy day. Deep down in his heart, he had grown concerned, however, noticing her quickening to get tired earlier than usual, and it wasn't just for the past few days. It had been occurring weeks now, but every time he tried asking his wife, she would simply smile, and say that everything was okay.

What amazed him more, though, was how both she and their daughter, Chrona, could have possibly slept through the high volume that escaped from the televisions speakers. It was a movie they had been watching, the perfect way to settle down from the tiring day. The lights were low enough so that it felt almost like a personal theatre showing. It warmed his heart to share such a peaceful moment with the two he loved the most. As long as they were happy and healthy, everything felt okay.

That was when Soul immediately remembered that food was in the midst of preparation. That's right! The man volunteered to cook their unusually late dinner, and it was certainly too late to order delivery, though the two were quite hungry. Maka would know the difference, and a book to the skull wasn't too appealing if she had found out her husband had become too lazy to finish cooking just one meal.

With this, the sound of a beep from the kitchen went off. The oven was finally at the right temperature! That was what he liked the least about cooking duty… waiting… if only these things were a little more instant, he wondered. But no matter, he had promised… Just before standing on his own two feet once again, he brushed his lips lightly against his wife's forehead and stroked a few strands of her dirty blonde hair. "Just one moment…" he bid to her tenderly. The slow rise and fall of her chest indicated she was quite relaxed in a quiet nap. Soul threw his hands in the air, stretching his arms high.

The sound went off again. "Alright, alright, I'm coming…" His legs reluctantly carried him into the kitchen. The man shut the door to muffle the sounds of the movie, and possibly a crying child if Chrona were to suddenly fuss again. Maka knew how to handle it well enough. Just a few minutes of silence and solitude would do him some good, anyway. Soul let out a sigh of relief. He loved his family very much, but there were times when escaping the duties were nice, too.

A bag of thawed chicken was removed from the refrigerator, and opened. Soul took a few pieces out, on top of some fresh vegetables from its drawer. Seasoned and baked chicken breasts with a vegetable stir fry would be simple, but filling enough to keep all three of them asleep for the night until the next busy day rose.

After the chicken was put carefully into the oven, a chopping board was pulled out from a nearby drawer on his right. Soul began to chop the vegetables into their bite size pieces. At this rate, both entrée's would finish at about the same time, and the couple would have a fresh, hot meal to settle their stomachs well enough to fall asleep comfortably. The rhythm of the chops, muffled background noise, and solitude of having the kitchen to himself soothed him.

Everything seemed perfectly relaxing. That is, until a strange scent began to fill the air. It smelled like something burning. Opening the oven door, the white haired father examined inside. Nothing unusual there. So where was this burning coming from? For a moment, he began to grow quite concerned, until his eyes grazed over to the doorway between the kitchen and living room, where Maka and his two year old daughter were supposed to be resting safely.

A hint of smoke… now the man fell into a state of panic. Fire was imminent on the other side. Even more baffling, though not the priority of concerns, was what could have caused a fire in such a short amount of time? The detector should have gone off before the situation got that bad!

He could hear his wife's muffled scream, the cry of his toddler. How had this happened so quickly? It changed from one of the most relaxing moments into one of panic. In a hurry to save the two sleeping beauties, he ran to the door to brave into the blazing danger. However, upon his attempts to open the door, the knob would not turn. He attempted once more, turning the knob with more force, but yet again, it did not budge. It was entirely too unusual. Even the creaks between the door and the door frame itself didn't seem to provide a visible gap.

At last, he resorted to tearing the door down, anything it took to get through. The well-known black and red blade emerged from his arm, running parallel so that he could jam it straight through the dark stained wood. The blade stabbed over and over, repetitively until an opening was made that he could smash through. Not a bit did he care for his own being, just so long as he could arrive timely enough to rescue his wife and child. Their lives were more important than avoiding any abrasions, cuts, bruises, or rips through the clothing he had on.

What he found was halfway what he expected, only worse. True enough, flames engulfed nearly every inch of the room from what he could see. The heat grew so intense, it seemed it could be felt from a mile away. Dark and deep puffs of smoke blurred his vision, as well as threw him into a fit of a coughing rage. "MAKA! MAKAAA!" he shouted instinctively while trying to navigate his way to what looked to be a slightly empty pit. Additionally, there seemed be a strange presence around he couldn't pin point. If only he knew where she was, or if she was okay! "MAKA! Please! Answer me!" he screamed louder, desperation growing in his tone. Still no answer. If only he had her ability to detect Souls right now, it would be much easier!

At last, he found his way well enough to the area free enough of the ravaging flames and blinding puffs of grey. In that area was something that he should have half expected, though. There were three witches awaiting him. One held his wife tightly in a binding twist in her hold so that Maka could not escape so well nor scream to alert him, and with a rather large and sharp blade to her bare neck. She had been caught that swiftly in her own exhausted sleep. Another on the opposite side, dangling their two year old child by the nape of her one pieced pajama set just above an unusually fatal patch of flames. The last, standing in the distance between the two.

In the recent year, witches who protested the attempted peace between Shibusen and themselves had been banding together to attack the households and threaten the lives of powerful and accomplished meisters and death scythes. So far there had been three victims in the matter of closely ten months, so the attacks had proven to be quite unpredictable. Just as it seemed days had settled down to where well known fighters could relax a bit, another would occur.

It should have seemed only natural that Soul and Maka would become a target, considering their excellent resonation and Maka's amazing ability to detect souls, though she hadn't been able to see beyond Soul Protect yet. Still, their existence was a threat to the witch mass, and great one at that, so for this particular instance, three had teamed together in order to keep each of them too occupied to focus on the complete surroundings and happenings.

Normally, these attacks happened so quickly that the victims simply had no room for successful defense, but it was obvious that this particular trio dared to play games on their escapades to eliminate the powerful and successful death scythes and meisters. It was almost even necessary for all three to participate in such an intrusion, considering the power that Maka and Soul had alone in just their Soul Resonance and Maka's Soul Detect. The idle witch began to speak. "These games are so fun, really… I'll tell you what, I'll give you five seconds to choose who you will save first… and the other will die…"

Soul glared at her taunt after his eyes shifted left and right between the two. "Forget about me, Soul! Just take Chrona and get out of here!" Maka managed to shout just before her voice was muffled by the hand of her captor. The mother was ready to sacrifice herself for the safety of her husband and child as he had displayed for her so many times before. She was tired of being the one to be saved, and wanted nothing more than to at least see their child grow up with at least one of her parents. Nothing could hurt her more than to see their two year old lose all opportunity to live her life out, and Soul knew this good and well by simply staring into the desperate expression she threw back into his eyes.

In hope that such the short timing offer was a bluff, Soul lunged in towards the witch holding their child about the heat, swiping his black and red blade about until she let go of the infant. She had managed to dodge the attack quite well, as he wasn't quite at his best without Maka to handle him, but his instincts pushed him well enough to catch the child in one fell swoop, bringing her back up to his chest to swaddle her against his shoulder protectively.

Soul wanted so much to transform into his weapon form so that Maka could easily free herself and use the magic of their resonance to rid the witches away for good, but doing so would only contradict the protective action he had taken as a father, as it would only leave their child vulnerable to either the flames that surrounded them or any of the intruders that had such the time to take a hold of her again. For this, he simply couldn't let the girl be removed from his arm, otherwise, even his wife might only find disappointment in his not-so-wise choice. Even he couldn't forgive himself if he had left his defenseless daughter to fend for herself.

"Predictable as usual… but now that you have baggage to carry, I'll just be taking you out anyway. Now watch your husband and child die before your eyes…" exclaimed the witch that held Maka captive, in hopes to give them both scarring images just before their death. She threw a hand free, projecting a multitude of sharp diamond shaped blades that were dangerous on every edge surrounding them.

As they flew in quicker than Soul had expected, his parental instincts kicked in even more, as he twisted around, acting as a blockade so the projectiles had no path available to harm the child in his right arm. His left arm flew up in its bladed fashion immediately to block them away from himself, even. The growing clouds of thick grey smoke blocked his view of the every detailed direction they were flying, but he was happy to know that no one was hurt… yet.

However, as the smoky cloud cleared, what he saw before him would scar him for years to come. He had done more than block the mildly sized blades. They had actually flown so quickly that as they deflected the Death Scythes' armored arm, as though they had turned into rubber, and back into their original metal on their path back. The fatal projectiles had indeed actually ricocheted and been reflected back in the direction of which they were shot. Most may have thought of this as a good irony, as there was a witch ahead, but this was not so much the case. Maka had proven to be a mere human shield to the witch as his opponent had turned forward, and they had pierced Maka instead.

"S-Soul… just… go now… save… Chrona…" her voice muttered weakly. The sight of Maka's now blood-stained clothes, which didn't cease to continue soaking further in the crimson liquid, appalled and shocked Soul to no end. His eyes grew wide at what had just happened. He thought he was merely defending their daughter, when indeed, that very own defensive action inadvertently took the life of his own wife. Now the battle was three to one, as Maka was dropped to the ground and the three intruding witches began to close the distance between them and the father clasping onto the two year old baby. They knew Soul wasn't half of what he could be without his meister.

Soul set the crying child down behind him in a clear spot where the fumes wouldn't prove to be so harmful, at least, until he finished putting his all into defending the two. He found himself almost going into another coughing fit, but now… now he was enraged. He HAD to protect his own daughter, if even at the cost of his own life, now. Standing in a defensive stance, he kept himself cornered so his blade was readily available to swipe across all three attackers.

The three had nearly cornered him completely until suddenly they were alerted by something. Help had arrived for the corned Death Scythe. "We'll be back for you… _death scythe_…" they hissed. They disappeared in a puff before their faces could be seen by any other. As the last bit of them was gone, Soul immediately scooped his daughter back into his arms, ripping off a part of his shirt to wrap around Chrona's face. It was a bit late for the thought, but at that time, there were more important dangers than smoke alone. He trudged through reluctantly, not caring whether what burns he may have been giving himself, towards his bleeding wife, pulling her just over his shoulder with his free arm.

Kid could at last be seen busting through the front door of the house, of which had also been sealed for the man's demise, and covered his own face with his crossed arm, face halfway buried into the bent elbow to prevent himself from breathing in so much smoke as Soul already had. The shinigami immediately came by Soul's side as he reached a close distance from the exit, aiding the three out of the flaming building.

As soon as they were cleared of the danger of the flames, wife unconscious, child crying hysterically in fear, and husband limping on the single leg that had not been burnt, Kid took Maka from Soul's shoulder, kneeling immediately to examine her wounds. Soul had grown slightly exhausted from the immense struggle to bring all three out safely, despite the wounds they may have received, and dropped down to his knees, bent over and supporting his torso up with his bare and blackened hands. His breath was heavy, not just from the saving act, but from the disbelief of what he had just witnessed.

Was it true? Had he really become the very cause of his own wife's fatal injury? He had not predicted that such a shot would reflect so effectively and quickly, or that his blade was even capable of such an action. Or perhaps he deserved the horrible feeling in his gut for not choosing to save her first. It wasn't as if she was defenseless, but certainly was held tight enough that she couldn't struggle free in a timely manner. Even further, he didn't have to shut that door that blocked the way. Perhaps if he had left it open, he could have reached them in time before it came to such a moment. Whichever it was, he'd have rather forgotten

Kid sighed heavily after attempting to take a pulse from Maka's limp body. She was gone. Dead. There was nothing they could do to bring her back. Only three words escaped the Shinigami's mouth. "I'm sorry, Soul…." Nothing more needed to be said as the Death God stepped slowly away from the woman's body.

Soul crawled desperately to where Maka lay, placing his hands on her shoulders. He shook her lightly, as if attempting to wake her up. Her jade eyes ceased to open. Her chest did not rise nor fall. Her hot breath could not be felt. "Maka! No…. no… NO! You can't be… you can't be!" He shouted as he threw himself atop her, holding her deceased body close. "I need you… _Chrona_ needs you! It should have been me, not you…" Tears began to escape his eyes, but he wiped them away quickly so he would not be seen in his emotional state.

The man turned his head to gaze back at the fussing two year old, whom was being held by Marie. The woman had soothed the child a little, but the girl still wanted nothing more than her parents at the moment.

Slowly, Soul stood back up, looking down one more time at the blood stained body that was his wife. His head lay low as he shuffled slowly, with a slight limp from the severe burn he had received upon his left leg, towards his child. Insisting on holding her, he took the girl from Marie's arms, keeping her clenched tightly against his chest, the house they once shared now burnt down to a near crisp from the witches' vengeful magic. Never again would he leave his family out of his sight. The two had escaped alive with nothing but the clothes on their back.

As if just this night alone wasn't damaging enough, Soul had even later overheard the doctor mention something else to the Shinigami in a low voice so they thought the scythe hadn't heard. Maka was one month pregnant upon her death, just another burden to secretly lye on his conscience, making not one, but two innocent souls he felt he had relinquished at his own fault, whether it was true or not: a woman _and_ a baby.

For a while, things had proven to be silent. Soul refused to speak a word of the incident, and most understood. Marie offered a momentary home for them to reside in, and the father had accepted, or at least until he finally reluctantly accepted the gift of a new home, thanks to the contributions of Soul's parents and brother. The scythe couldn't talk them out of it, no matter how hard he tried.

In time, Soul had successfully pushed the whole matter into the darkest and furthest corner of his memories. Here, it didn't have to be remembered or spoken of. Therefore, it didn't have to hurt so much nor did he have to face the feeling of guilt. He could simply carry on as though none of his daily routines had been affected. This way, he could be strong for his daughter's sake. Besides' it wasn't cool to cry over something that couldn't be changed and life wasn't going to stop entirely just so he could bawl on its shoulder.

Many showered them with new wardrobe additions, toys for the toddler and gifts of fruit, sweets and hot fresh meals. The days had grown back to what they used to be, or at least as close as they could be. Many grew baffled as to how Soul had not fallen into a state of depression. They knew it hurt through the silence he conveyed, but he never took the time to cry in front of them or talk to them about his past memories with her. There was a two year old that needed his care and love, and for that, he had no time to cry. All he could do was try to be half as strong as Maka would have been, even if nobody knew the pain that tore him up inside.


	15. Chapter 15 Unique Encounters

Chapter 15 – Unique Encounters

Soon after Chrona's discovery of her failure to stop the poisoning of her father's mind, she found herself rushing back to her home, along with her meister, Kale. She remembered where he had once stashed a treasure box full of mementos, specifically the ones involving her mother. These were things that Soul refused to let go of, yet never cared to reflect on, either. They reminded him of the very day he lost the one that mattered the most. Of course, it didn't matter anymore, as the voice that spoke to him in his head had finally taunted him enough to lose it all together. Of course, it was Chrona's very mission to save him from that madness and it was exactly what brought her to dig through the stash in the first place, hoping to find some clue.

"You see, Kale, if I can stop my mother from dying in the first place, then dad wouldn't have to suffer from the beginning, plus I could finally get to know her!" Her eyes lit in both determination and excitement as she plotted. At last, after rummaging through seemingly meaningless trinkets, the girl held open and wide in front of her an aged newspaper article. There were spots on it, as though tears had fallen and dried on it, but it still remained legible.

Kale leaned over Chrona's shoulder, examining it like it was an ancient artifact. The weapon's eyes scanned over the words hastily. It revealed very little detail, since the only witness, Soul, had refused to speak much on it other than the obvious. More importantly, though, it still contained the date of the witches' attack on their home that had caused Maka's death in the first place.

"We can't go killing every witch we learn about." Kale noted to his anxious weapon partner.

"I know! I know! BUT…. If I can make sure they _aren't_ there when they _do_ attack…" Chrona had a plotting look about her gaze. She seemed to know well what she wanted to do. The only issue was actually confronting her parents in the past. She wondered if she would choke last minute from finally meeting her mother or if they would even recognize her at all. "We're going back to 2021!"

Kale appeared slightly questionable about the notion, but a promise was a promise. If she went down, than he would too. He nodded, determined he wouldn't back down, despite how unsure he felt about going back so far in time. At least Chrona had her head on slightly straight rather than planning a complete barrage. The girl shoved the old article into Kale's hands, demanding that he protect it. He could do nothing more than let out a sigh. This girl was truly willing to do anything to save her father!

-o-o-o-o-o-

"I trust you, Maka…" In four words, Soul's stressful struggle came to an abrupt end. His attitude fell out of the feeling of doubt, regret and guilt of the horrid past experience that brought him to what it was now. The spell had at last finally overcome him and he no longer held control of what his actions would be. Now it was the little demon's turn. His head hung low and his voice grew quiet.

Kid knew well what had just happened, as he could be seen backing away, giving a quiet notion to Liz and Patty. They nodded in confirmation and transformed into their weapon forms, leaving a gun in each of Kid's hands. "I'm sorry… I didn't want to do this, Soul…" he stated regretfully. He didn't want to hurt one of his best friends, but now the situation called for it.

Angela began laughing in satisfaction. "And so you see it… Soul is mine now! The power of the black blood can reign over once again!" A wicked smile came upon her face as her plan to make the madness overpower his will finally succeeded. Peering around the woman, a larger group of witches began to surround the Shibusen fighters. It was a band of them who had decided they disagreed with the act of peace between the two parties.

She wasn't the only one who grew satisfied in his loss of control, however. Behind the outnumbered Shibusen crew was the doctor himself, Stein. The man smiled in a sense that radiated his desire to test the strength of his own insanity against that of their new found foe. Yes, they had battled before, long before… and now he was given the opportunity for a rematch.

Marie could do nothing more than comply, though, thanks to the situation that had just occurred. She followed instruction and fell into Stein's hands in weapon form, as well. Her only hope was that it didn't boil down to losing Soul for good. Perhaps they could simply injure him enough to slow him down.

As the duo rushed forward past the others, who still remained stunned at the decision they had been forced into, Soul's arm quickly transformed back into its bladed state in time enough to block the mad man's attack. A loud clang was heard as the two weapons clashed. They began to fall into a dual of who could dodge the most.

Black Star's eyes never left Angela's though. Now she had really done it. He knew it, he should have killed her years ago when she wasn't near as strong, but he simply couldn't help it. She was so small, naïve, and helpless, and that simply wasn't the honorable way to do it. Now that she was grown and taken his best friend's sanity, there was no problem in continuing the quest of her defeat. "Tsubaki!" the blue haired man shouted. Tsubaki obeyed and fell into his hands in her chained form.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**January 7, 2021 Morning Time**

The odd feeling of the travel came over the two as they arrived in the time Chrona had designated. It was the day of the fateful tragedy that took the life of the mother she never got to truly know. The brilliant light faded to reveal an early morning. The sun shone bright against their faces as they attempted to give their blinking eyes a bit of shade with their hovering arms. The day felt rather peaceful. How could such a beautiful day have revealed such an unpleasant event?

As the two partners walked throughout the streets, they immediately noted the differences the town had gone through in fourteen years. "Wow, look, Kale!" Chrona exclaimed in awe. The amazement of Shibusen then verses the Shibusen she knew now almost threw the weapon off the goal she originally arrived for. "Can we go explore, Kale?!"

Of course, his response was not what she wanted to hear. A low toned clearing of this throat clearly expressed that he did not want to chance the loss of time they were at already. Just having come here in the first place was enough risk in itself, but… Chrona was his partner, and he wasn't about to leave her to chance it all by herself.

"Well then! You're no fun, Kale… maybe I should have come here by myself then, eh?" The girl pouted as the string of unnecessary complaints escaped her mouth.

Again, nothing but disapproval from her meister, only this time expressed through his frown and furrowing. "Your mother?" he inquired, reminding his partner of their priorities. "We only have till night fall… You do remember what she looks like, right?"

"Ha! Of course!" she replied. "Even if I can't find her, I can just find my dad!" Her logic was right. She knew her parents to have been weapon and meister partners since they joined in the first place. At this point, her dad already became a death scythe, so it could only mean that they were still working together, even in their married status.

They browsed the streets of Death City for some while. A few shot odd looks their way, as though they were complete strangers from a different village. Of course, little did they know that their eyes were grazing upon the grown up versions of two children within that very place.

Quickly, their stroll came to a halt, as Chrona accidently bumped into a rather strange being. Her eyes couldn't help but to notice the tone of his skin. As her gaze lifted upwards, landing upon the man's face, he was like nothing she had seen before… but it struck a rather odd memory… that's right… the stories her dad used to tell her! He spoke of a zombie that once taught in their school… Sid! It all matched so perfectly…

The great height, the blue skin, the cheeks with seemingly no mass so it revealed hardly more than the bone structure… and last but not least, the odd lip-less grin. Never had Chrona actually believed that such a being actually existed… until now! The proof that the legend was true now stood right in front of her. He merely shot a grin her way. "Whoa there! Better watch where you're going now." When his eyes met her, though, he stared slightly intently, as though she were just as odd.

"Oh u-um… yeah! Haha!" For once, she actually became nervous about meeting someone. She was unsure of what to say, so she backed away so their paths were clear. Just as she and Kale began to walk off, though, she paused, turning back around, but not to admire his uniqueness. "By the way…" she began, catching his attention, too. "Maybe you could tell me where my mo—I mean… uh…" Really, the girl was a terrible liar.

Kale immediately butted in when he noticed his partner's gasps. He didn't enjoy it, but his voice sounded so much more genuine, without the wavering hesitation, when telling a story. "Perhaps you could tell us where Maka Albarn is?"

The zombie merely laughed. "Hahaha!" he began. "… not at all, actually. Have you tried the school?" His grin was quite merry, still. Who didn't have a reason to be so? Battles had come to an end, or at least they had in regards to Asura and any madness related to him.

But Chrona wondered why would they be there? By now they would have graduated. Shrugging it off, she thanked him with a pleasant smile, grabbing Kales hand once more and fleeing off. Talking to a zombie felt strange, too strange… 'Heh, perhaps I should come back to visit him sometime later…'

The grand staircase to the institution had not changed. The tiring run, or walk, up the long ever-lasting steps seemed as though they never ended. However, they reached the top. Their expectations were not shown, however. The school, though it appeared the same, had an odd feel to it, as though Kid's influence had not taken effect. It was slightly less built on, too. That's when it hit. Of course! This was an era before he took charge!

She continued on, still pulling Kale by his wrist, and charged into the school's differently decored double doors. For the most part, everything still remained symmetrical. Three large skulls arched the entryway, one perfectly in the middle, and the others upon each side. It was as though it were designed for Kid's approaching reign. The handles upon the doors were different though. They entailed skulls, but not such the ones that they knew. These were longer, and a little goofier. Definitely not Kid's doing, concealing the small bit of seriousness necessary.

"Don't you think that we should-"Kale began, but Chrona immediately butted into his incomplete sentence.

"We have school uniforms on, right?! Don't worry about it. Well just go in, take care of it, and leave!" She didn't seem too worried about the small details. All the students, exception of those that might have skipped, were stowed away in their proper classes. As the duo ran across, a class caught her attention particularly. She stopped, her meister bumping into her slightly from the sudden pause, and peered into the window with amazement.

There was somebody interesting, somebody she never really had the chance to learn under… the professor himself, ! Adjusting the screw that ran through his temple, he wore an unusual grin, the same that showed when he was about to do something that derived from sheer insanity. "It's the doctor! When he was sane… or a little." She planted her face upon the glass, staring in awe, skin leaving an oily print, until she noticed the doctor turning his head to see who had been staring. The white-haired weapon quickly ducked down. She shrieked, dragging her partner yet again, around a corner.

"And who have we here?!" an odd voice exclaimed. The man… if it was man… standing in front of them threw both into a loop of surprise. No, it was not just a human… it was the Shinigami himself… Death. His large white hands, long black cloak, and even more distinctively the same goofy skull that rested upon the school's entrance as handles gave it away clearly. "Say, you look familiar…" he continued, squinting towards Chrona in particular.

"W-what?!" For once, she was at a loss of words, a hint of hesitation filling her voice. "Oh, no, no… we've never met at all!"

"I'm sorry… we're a bit lost right now. We were supposed to meet with Maka and Soul for some personal training…" Yet again, Kale saved the day. He seriously wondered what she would do if he didn't agree to come along, considering his partner's horrible lack of talent for lying.

"That's odd… they never told me about that one! I'm terribly sorry, kiddos." They must have gotten busy and forgot! They went out to take care of a small threat. I'm sure they'll be back later!" The shinigami smiled, waving his large gloved hands about, despite the confusion of the situation. He used the word "threat" but at the same time, he was smiling and dancing about as if there were no dangers at all.

Kale grunted to himself silently. There was no time to sit around and wait… the longer they spent here, the more they risked it all. Unlike Chrona, he kept himself well aware this dainty trip was for business. In the meantime, his partner still stood there, gawking in amazement at the goofy Death God. At this rate, it would be _her_ that gave them away… and here she was supposed to be the expert time traveler! "Thank you…" With this last comment, he gently tugged her away, exiting the school. It was obvious they wouldn't find them here.

"Did you see him!? He's so funny looking!" his partner proceeded, laughing till her lungs nearly gave out, leaving her a heaving mess. "I mean, he's not serious at all, unlike the Death we-" Again, Kale had to take action, this time, by covering her mouth before others that stood nearby could hear them or catch on. As soon as she calmed herself down again, he let go. She took in a few heavy breaths in force to keep her chuckle down. "Remind me never to travel without you!"

"Never travel without me…"

Chrona gave him a slight glare. "I didn't mean now! Ahem... anyway… we've got to find mom and dad!" Kale raised an eyebrow, clearing his throat obviously to remind her that they had to be careful. "Oh… right… Maka and Soul… heh… onward we go!" Not quite a careful enough answer, but enough to straighten out that the words "mom" and "dad" clearly shouldn't be used here.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Travelling the streets of past Death City was amazing, yet, but as each hour passed, the constant walking became a painful drone, with complaints of aching legs and feet. The sun began to set, and at last the two stopped at a nearby bench. Chrona could go no longer, giving Kale a heavy sigh and plopping down upon the welcoming seat.

"We'll never find them…" The excitement now shifted to disappointment. Oh, how she didn't want to go back, remembering what she would have to face upon her return. Her father's madness… the lost chance to save the mother she never truly spent time with… The weapon pulled out the crumpled paper of an article, the same that described the events due to occur

Kale put his hand upon her shoulder. He could see the distress in her eyes. "Don't worry about it… we'll try again later." His intentions were truly good, but the words did not sooth her troubled heart.

Her response was low toned and not quite as perky as when the mission began. "Easy for you to say…" Her eyes were shifted down to the ground. It seemed the determined Chrona looked ready to give up. Couples walked by, holding hands, laughing. Every time somebody walked by, her head would perk up, hoping that her parents would ironically walk by. "Forget it, Kale. You're right… we'll just try it again later…" She stood from the tan-stained wooden bench, turning and walking off, Kale trailing behind her.

Just as they began to depart the area all together, she heard something that caught her attention. A woman with ash-colored pig tails was frantically digging in the back compartment of her baby stroller. "Soul! Don't tell me you forgot Chrona's Jacket! Seriously, its' way too chilly to just 'let' your daughter catch a cold…"

"And what if I did?" His usual sarcastic remark, accompanied with a familiar wide grin. It was the same attitude and look that Chrona rarely saw on his face anymore as the days grew in her teen-hood.

"Maaaakkaaaa…" she retorted so his sarcasm. Soul knew what was about to come. A thick book was found quickly in her hand, only to be dropped onto his head. "CHOP!" The white-haired toddler that sat in the stroller in front of them giggled her heart away like it was a comedy show made just for her.

"Geez, Maka, okay, okay!" Soul rubbed his head painfully, trying to fluff out the book shaped indent in his hair. "Ya know, any more of this, and she might just become violent like you…" Soul thrust out a small toddler sized pink bubble jacket.

It was them… it was really them! Maka and Soul… If meeting Death himself wasn't silently shocking enough, than the fact that the girl stood here, peering from a distance at her parents in their youth, more considerably, the mother she never had the chance to know, was even worse. Would they recognize her?

The girl's eyes first averted to Soul. He appeared so happy… it seemed that a simple walk with his family was all it took to make him happy. Seeing her father in his youth amazed her to no end. His attitude was quite different from the one she knew.

Next, she shifted her gaze to Maka. Her mother…. Of course she had seen her as an infant, as well as photos that Soul kept around, but it still felt like the first time. She was more beautiful than ever. Photos did no justice. The ash blonde pigtails that lay upon her shoulders and more so, the unique jade eyes. Without any control to her action, Chrona immediately ran up to Maka, wrapping her arms around her to hold her tight, as though there would be no other chance to do so.


	16. Chapter 16 Home Coming

Chapter 16 - Homecoming

Chrona held her arms around Maka tightly. It was the first time she had met the mother she truly never got to know. As soon as she was brought back to reality, the girl quickly remembered the time she was in. Maka certainly didn't have a clue who she was, so Chrona immediately let go, bringing her arms back behind her back and head hanging towards the pavement in embarrassment. "Oh! I-I'm sorry…"

Her glance shot back up to the confused couple. Did they suspect her? Recognize her? Even in the midst of their baffle, they seemed like such a perfect couple. Everything they had been through could prove no less in comparison to another. It was just ashamed that this was their last day they would spend together… the though alerted Chrona back to her goals in travelling back to this year in the first place.

The girl shot a concerned look towards her meister, hoping that he might pick up where she felt oddly weak, but he only nudged her in return, backing off slightly to give them way for their conversation. This was not for him to say, or so he felt, so she hesitated to continue. "Listen! I..." she started, but paused. The nerves were getting the best of her at last. Images of what was bound to happen flashed back into her memory.

That's when her courage perked back up in her desperation, speeding up her speech so it was almost impossible to keep up. "I came to warn you about something! Something very important! You see…. Mo-… Maka's going to die tonight! The witches that have been attacking… and you guys are their next target!"

"I'm… I'm sorry?" her youthful father inquired, curiously. He wasn't sure what to think of the proposition. That's when he glanced back at his two year old in the stroller, and once again, back to her. Taking a moment to shake his head, he doubted that this could be happening, if he had heard her right.

Chrona could see the gears in his head going, though. To reiterate her point, she pulled out the crumpled article that leaded her to where she was now, quickly thrusting it towards him, open so he could read it. "Just… just look at it! Please…." As her voice trailed off, her voice wavered slightly, but before any tears could escape her eyes, she cleared her throat and rubbed her arm across her eyes, asserting control of her emotions once again.

A look of shock began to fall on the parents' face, but somehow the situation still seemed just too odd. "Are you sure this isn't just a joke? I mean… anybody could have created and printed this, right?" The mother asked. "Even if they do, we're quite capable of defending ourselves, certainly."

Soul butted into her questioning, though, feeling somehow that the girl in front of them was being genuine, after making assessments between the tattered paper, Chrona, and the two year old in their stroller. "Maka, maybe we should listen to her. Besides… they haven't been caught yet, after all. We shouldn't drop our guards at any time just because it feels peaceful." Of course, Maka knew this. The woman had simply fallen into unusual exhaustion, and was ready to rest for once.

After taking note of the details and names listed of who had apparently been their future attackers, Soul handed the paper back to Chrona. He attempted to send her a reassuring smile to let her know it would all be okay, and thank her for the warning. His mind still questioned the odd meeting, but if it had anything to do with Maka's safety, he was willing to abide the word.

"Don't worry, we're going to keep an extra eye out-"

"NO!" Chrona gasped in return to the mild suggestion as she grabbed her unaware mother by her shoulders, her eyes emitting a serious look of concern. "I mean… no… you need to stay somewhere else! Where someone else can help watch! Like… like, uh… uh… Kid's place!" For a moment she had a tough time staying in the same thought of this frame of time.

Kale pulled Chrona gently away from Maka, taking charge to step in front and handle the conversation from there. His partner's emotions began to fall out of hand, so it was an appropriate time to intervene. "Don't worry about why. Just do it… and remember the names on that paper."

Soul sighed in a confused defeat as he gazed at the article one more time. "Fine… but just for one night, okay?" This put a smile on the teenage daughter's face, as she let out a breath of relief. "Anything else important we should know?" Soul added. This was certainly one of the oddest encounters he had experienced. At last they said their brief good byes and departed. Soul did just as the couple promised they would do, they turned opposite of their initial direction to reside with Kid for a single night instead.

Chrona sighed as they strolled off, her eyes gleaming both hope and awe. The hope was that when they returned to their own time, she could finally spend time with the mother she hardly knew. The awe, on the other hand, that finally the daughter had seen her face to face in a moment she could actually remember. Once they were clear from the path, the teen turned back to her meister. The boy interrupted her dazed thoughts.

"We shouldn't stay here much longer." Of course, a simple phrase yet again. He only spoke up to remind his partner of the risk. Not that they had risked enough already. She merely nodded in return, though, finally ready to return to her bound to be happy home. With her parent's predators made aware, and the awful and scarring night prevented, perhaps now she could return to a once-again complete family.

The weapon sighed, though, knowing full and well her partner was right, even in in the temptation to spend an eternity here, in the same time that both her parents were well and happy. Certainly now, though, things would be different, so she gave in to the obligation. "You're right…" The girl let out a satisfied smile. "Let's go home…" With this, the two once again made their way back to where they belonged, in the year of 2035.

-o-o-o-o-o-

January 25, 2035

Chrona ran along back to her home, her grip held onto her partner's wrist. She didn't want to be alone in confronting the results their travel may have prompted. "Hurry, Kale!" She shouted, her steps never ceasing to slow down. Typically, Kale was the one that would drag her, being his long legs and underestimated agility as a meister. She didn't allow a chance to slow down until they stood in front of her house.

The home seemed to appear normal, same as it was before. Clean, quiet… There was no telling what the two parents would be up to, since the girl hadn't seen the changed events. All she could hope for what that one or both of them were home. The girl nearly broke the front door as she burst into the house. "Mom! Dad! Anybody home!?" A wide smile beamed on her face in the midst of her inquiries of her parents' presence.

Kale leaned against the entrance as he watched her scramble about, observing any piece of evidence that might show a hint of success. He felt awkward stepping into other's houses and raiding their goods. On the other hand, Chrona zoomed down into the hallway of the home, stopping to shout at each door way as she braced herself on the frame. Suddenly she became quiet, though, too quiet. Kale could only wonder.

-o-o-o-o-o-


	17. Author's Note

To my fellow readers! Thank you so much for the support you have been showing me! Every bit encourages me to continue on- and I will! However, I apologize for the late updates recently. I have not forgotten or given up! I have simply been overwhelmed with college and school and side projects and much needless additional stress lately. You can expect to see another chapter posted very soon, though, since vacation from EVERYTHING is coming up. My writers/plot block is gone now, and I'm back on a definite track! Again, thank you for your support, and I am really looking forward to seeing the responses! (I've got quite a surprise in store…)


	18. Chapter 17 The Forgotten Soul

Chrona gazed upon the newly updated article, or at least what was updated in her view, since she had just arrived home after her risky trip back into time. Surely, warning her mother and father would have seemed a pliable resolution, but the white-haired weapon sat in utter shock. Her arms dropped from in front of her, her hands landing in a bent position onto the ground, her right still holding onto the crumpled paper. "Kale…" she began, an inevitable sniffle and a shaky voice that was bound to lead to an outburst of tears. "This… this can't be… surely it's a… a cruel joke!?"

With a twist of her torso while she remained plopped onto the floor in draught, she turned to gaze back at her partner, desperation filling her eyes. However, neither did she expect to see, or not see rather, another shocking realization. Her partner was suddenly gone from where he once stood. Now it was simply an empty doorway. "Kale!? Kale!" she shouted, jumping to her feet, finally. Bolting to the door, she came to a quick stop, catching herself upon the frame. Chrona looked desperately left, right, back left again down the empty hallway… how had he disappeared so quickly, and why?! "No… no! This can't be!"

The girl had to find somebody who might have a clue on what was happening after her apparently effective changes. With a gasp, her mind immediately thought of her ever loving red-haired grandfather, Spirit. That's right! He was always entrusted with everything, so he would know even now where everyone was, what they were doing, or more of her concern, how they were doing. In a quick rush, she hurried back to the academy, where, at this point, maybe even Death was back at.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Spirit sat quietly in Kid's ruined office, still fascinated by the damage that a mad man could do in a split second. His boredom reigned on as his voice began to carry on in a light whistle, which made a tune that carried no resemblance to any song that really existed. Just as he began to feel relaxed to shift his attention away, someone came bursting in.

Upon the loud sound of the door swinging open and the individual jumping up to the half-asymmetrically broken desk, the man immediately formed a blade upon his arm, and thrust it forward till it nearly reached enough to slice their neck. However, he stopped in midst of the defensive motion, with a sigh of relief. "Please, never scare me like that again! Sheesh! It's a bit late for you to be here, isn't it? Go on home, young lady…"

Indeed, it wasn't any random student that entered, but Chrona. "H-home?!" she answered in shock. "I can't! I won't! Please, you have to tell me where my dad is! Is he okay!?" Now she had completely disregarded thinking about the effects that her failure could impend on the minds and memories of everyone today.

"Your dad? Sorry to disappoint, but… I'm not sure who you're referring to." Spirit's comment reflected a complete loss of understanding. He truly had no idea what she was talking about, or even why. All the red head knew was that he was strictly instructed to remain at Shibusen.

Chapter 17 – The Forgotten Soul

His answer shouldn't have confused or frustrated Chrona more than it had, but at the moment, she was in too much of an emotional wreck to even consider. Of course even her own grandfather wouldn't know her.

She let out a heavy sigh, raising her hand upon her forehead with a light massaging motion. "I mean… Soul… where is Soul Evans?!" she exclaimed, now throwing her hands down on the desk in frustration, frustration to the situation, frustration to her mistake… her thoughts pondered on just how things could have gotten so bad so quickly.

Spirit jumped back in surprise to her semi-threatening demand, almost losing balance in the chair he remained laid back in, so he caved in and told her, even if he doubted it to be the wisest choice. Whatever decisions this student made was their responsibility, not his! "Alright, alright... But don't blame me if you get hurt… or killed! Lord Kid and the crew went to the warehouse in Havella City to try to save- err… help him with something." He tried to speak more to warn her of the disappointment that Kid would hold if she followed, but by that point, she had already run off and out the building.

Meanwhile, outside the institution, Chrona stopped to catch a breath, kneeled down with her hands resting upon her knees. "So he's… he's still…" Tears began to fill her eyes as she wondered why anything she tried just didn't work. In fact, it only made it worse! 'If only I had known this would happen before… We could have still had each other! No… I can't risk another chance.' Chrona plopped down to the ground, sitting in fetal position as she held her legs close, hiding her tear-struck face.

Her thoughts were full of desperation as she wished she had never meddled in what she didn't know. 'Why… why me? Why dad? My existence means nothing now… There's nothing else to do now than help them…' Drowned in her thoughts, she drowned the world out, surrounded by nothing but the regret of even meddling with what she lest realized was a happy life. Chrona's attempts alone had brought her to the desperation that perhaps there was no answer beyond her failed efforts. However, something surprised her, or somebody unexpected, rather.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Meanwhile, the situation at the warehouse was nearly precisely the same, save for Chrona and Kale's intervention. The same witch, Angela, leading the same crew that had performed the same curse upon Soul that led him to this point of insanity in the poison of his black blood.

Before the rebellious crowd was Shibusen's strongest defense and close group of friends, consisting of Kid, who was wielding Liz and Patty, Tsubaki in her weapon form within Black Star's confident, yet concerned grip. Additionally, the similarly insane Stein was itching for some action as he held Marie firmly. The only one not equipped with a weapon was the ex-student, Sloan. None of them truly wanted to fight their close friend, save for Stein, but it seemed the witches' so far seeming success had forced them into such.

"Please Soul! Wake up, realize what's going on!" Kid pleaded, in a last desperate attempt to avoid all costs of having to hurt the white haired man at all. His words were fruitless, though, as Soul had already given into the illusions of his deceased wife that haunted his mind for months now.

Liz consoled him from his last attempts, though, knowing well no words could reach Soul anymore. It would take something much larger to wake him up from the curse that held his sanity captive. "Kid… It's no use… we have to fight! I don't want to, either… but we can't give into inevitable death!"

Her words threw him back into concentration, as he held the twin guns forward, ready to shoot at will. "Soul… I'm sorry… but I've no choice!" In return, a wide toothy grin was sent his way, but not the usual happy one. Rather, it was the twisted kind that expressed a murderous intent, spread nearly from cheek to cheek in anticipation. The look in his expression was all that was needed to show what state of mind the man had fallen into. A challenge was presented, and nothing could make him turn it down.

The first to rush forward should have been expected. In came the head of grey hair accompanied with the oddity of a large screw. Deep down inside, Marie wanted to burst out crying, but what else was there to do but stop the dilemma? Immediately, Soul's blade also emerged from his arm, and the two pieces of metal between Soul and Marie clashed. Soul attempted at a few forward stabs that should they have landed, would have resulted in a fatal wound upon Stein's torso, but Stein was simply too fast in his excitement for the rush of battle.

Secretly, Stein had always waited for this day to justify the purpose of said fight, so the opportunity brought him at a height he had missed in his years in the mental hospital. Something about their last encounter from long ago inspired him in the curiosity just to see whose insanity would win over the other.

Soul simply remained standing, expecting and welcoming his continued attack. This time the doctor came rushing back in, his free palm facing forward and stuck out in the end as it came in contact with Soul's arm, raised to block. An outlet of electric-like energy, and Soul should have been stunned for a moment! Stein closed his eyes and laughed at the white-haired man's stupidity. How could he have forgotten about the professor's Soul Menace?!

Next to follow, Stein had planned to immediately strike him with Marie's weapon form well in the gut as he fell from the charge, but Soul had not fallen. Nor had Soul expected any less than a combination of attacks. Soul's other hand had already taken grip of Marie, holding the weapon strongly in her place, with only a slight wince upon his expression. The charged blow was voluntarily taken in full yet, unusually without the full suffering that usually occurred afterwards. Still, this didn't let Stein down from his aggression. Another Soul Menace, sent stronger than before, loosened Soul's grip with a slight stumble backwards.

-o-o-o-o-o-

As the dual went on between the two men, Black Star couldn't help but to stare down Angela. This was the witch he had felt sorry for, the witch whose care taker he had done away with by his own hands, the witch that always seemed on friendly terms with them regardless of what losses she experienced… until now. "Angela!" he shouted, in a bold call out, one end of Tsubaki's chained weapon in one hand lowered by his side, the other held forward to point to the witch. Even in his anger in meddling with the wellbeing of his best friend, he grinned, expressing the typical big-head confident warrior he always was. "Nobody takes my best friend away and gets by with it…"

"Well you can tell that to my accomplices…" Angela wore a smile of satisfaction. Prepared to defeat the witch at all costs, Black Star pulled his speedy dopple ganger into action. One witch shouldn't be a problem at all! Although, she still seemed rather confident. "If you think you can use that to defeat one… let's see you use it against many." Maniacal laughter emanated as she disappeared into the dark, leaving her several companions to step forward.

Black Star gasped for a moment, but regained his composure. "Heh… just you wait…" he started just before several of the clones could be seen rushing towards the hoard. One seemed to create one orb after another. As each copy came in contact with the spheres of mixed red, orange and yellow, explosions could be heard, seen, and felt in the vibes and echoes amidst the stale and constrained warehouse air. Black Star only continued in persistence, with the intent to wear her down down.

-o-o-o-o-o-

As the battle went on, Chrona, still sat in fetal position on the ground, eyes wet from her tears, gazed up to see who could possibly be interested in helping her. She sniffled a bit, taking a hand to wipe her eyes dry. "Who… who are you?" the girl inquired, wondering who could have possibly recognized her.

"At the moment, that doesn't really matter. What's more important is you." He set a hand gently upon her shoulder as he kneeled to face her. His apparel was quite intriguing and unique. A dark robe accented with gold decorations that seemed almost Aztec-like. Falling upon his shoulders and hanging one third down his arms was cloth-like shoulder padding, some that seemed more for design than protection. Even more fascinating was an intriguing mask, which fell almost like a shield over another, with four long vertical slits cut into it. He emanated a rather odd feeling of what felt to be a form of magic. "They say that time travelers have no soul… after much observation, I've come to see this as a truth…"

Chrona grew shocked that he recognized her ability simply by looking, or for that matter, recognized her at all. "H-how… how do you know me? I mean… I'm supposed to be…"

"Dead, yes, I know…" His immediate interruption surprised her even further, leaving her slightly speechless. The silent question of how he still knew her when nobody else did, no thanks to the incidents her traveling had cost, ran through her curious mind. "To answer your question, I've been watching you." Oddly enough, the only person that could possibly remember her now would be Eibon, the wise. Somehow his great vast of knowledge and memory allowed him to remember her from the timelines before her recent actions. "Watching your ability progress has intrigued me, along with the rare few others before yourself that have existed with such power, too. Even I have not gained the ability to control time itself, so your gift is quite a blessing. Believe it or not, though it's not too late for you as you may think…"

"I tried, though… and I failed. I couldn't save dad… I couldn't save mom… and now I may not be able to save myself…" Chrona hung her head low in shame. In all her efforts, she only brought more pain to her dad by accidently eliminating herself along with her mother in an accident that had spawned off from the prevention of the original that took the life of her mom alone. The witches' previous wrath had merely provoked them to bring in more unavoidable violence, and now Soul had not lost just a wife, but an entire family.

"Or perhaps you were trying for the wrong purpose. This moment will live on no matter what anybody does, just in a different format, so to speak." With this statement, the cloaked man stood, with a sound piece of advice in the calmest voice he could display. "The past has already been developed, and the present will always go on as meant to be. However, one can always use what they learn and experience to help their future…"

The girl stood and twirled around in attempt to catch him to question his words, but Eibon had disappeared without a moment to offer Chrona a last glimpse of him. He had said well enough and needed not to interfere any longer. What she did from here on was her choice.

"I… I don't get it… how am I supposed to help my future… dad's future… if it'll always end up like this?! No matter what I do, it'll only end in turmoil!" The girl plopped back down to the ground, almost ready to break out in another tantrum of tears. Forcing herself into thought, she managed to remain calm, though, and brought her thoughts back to the beginning. "The book said…. That the only thing that can help him is… is mom's anti-demon wavelength…" She sighed a heavy sigh, reminding herself of the wishes that she had attained it too. "No, no… wishing won't solve anything… if I could at least bring that here, then I could at least…"

The light bulb went on as she raised her head back up, eyes wide in astonishment. Of course! This time, it had to work! There couldn't have possibly been any other way! It was yet again one more risk, but what else was there to lose than her entire existence at all? It was all or nothing now, and this one last ditch effort was worth it. Standing in her new found determination, even if it wasn't for her own life's sake, she knew she had to find Kale, and now! If Chrona could help it, she was going to save her dad, whether she lived in his time line now or not!


	19. Chapter 18 Turning Against All Odds

Much apology for taking so long to update! I've been really really busy trying to stay caught up in school, but alas, here is the next chapter! I hope this meets all your expectations and that you enjoy it. Thank you to those that have reviewed, followed, favorite, and read my story! A reminder: I do not own Soul Eater, any of its characters or concepts!

Chapter 18: Turning Against All Odds

Soul and Stein were like a pendulum, back and forth swinging about each other, a continual momentum and energy travelling through each their bodies in turns. The battle was much more relentless, like a fight to test who would wear out first as they merely poked at each other alternatingly. Swing, dodge, the other swings, the other dodges. As it went on, it appeared that neither man was getting anywhere but playing a violent game of patty cake.

Stein bent down, nearly resting all the weight of his torso upon his knees as he attempted to devise an alternative method that Soul wouldn't expect. The predictions were just too close, too alike... As he looked back up, both then men's eyes stared cold into each other's, expressing a sense of twisted intention to kill. It seemed almost an even weight of insanity, only, while Stein wasn't afraid to make bold verbal threats, Soul remained silent as he could be.

On the alternative, Black Star, was still moving quite well, since speed and energy was his specialty. So far, the assassin had managed to fend his way against the multitude of witches that were attacking him at once. Somehow, it was becoming easier, though as each minute passed, and it wasn't because he was defeating them down… the number of enemies was dissipating instead! He stopped to gaze around, wondering where they had gone. They were actually slowly but surely retreating behind their own leader, Angela!

The man stood in the highest defense he could, waiting… waiting for them to recover their courage and come to him at once, but it wasn't happening. "HAHAHA! Why don't you stand? Could it be that even you witches can't take my God-like might?!" They weren't looking at him, though. Not a single witch paid an ounce of attention to his obnoxious yelling and boasting.

"Black Star… I don't think it's your might that has them down…" said Tsubaki in a kindly reminding tone from her weapon form.

Her reminder had not pulled him from his world of pride, though. "What are you talking about, Tsubaki. I was the one fighting them, so what else could it be?!" Right at that moment, Black Star's gaze crossed the crimson eyes of his crazed best friend crossing his path of battle. Soul returned a smirk of intent as his blade slashed across what would have been Black Star's next victim of a witch.

As soon as the white haired man landed stopped to land back on his feet calmly, Black Star could see evidence that the witch's life had been taken entirely… a single witch soul resting upon Soul's palm… What need did he have for it, though? The weapon had already gained his death scythe status. Still, he consumed the soul in a cool like manner as though it were a delicacy dessert. Black Star could only stare in shock, for both realization that the witches weren't retreating from him, and that Soul, in his bout of madness, would dare to risk intervening and eating more souls than necessary. By now, if they didn't stop him, he could even turn to attempt at their own souls, too, putting him on the path of a kishin. In his current mind frame, it wasn't entirely impossible, either.

The duo wasn't the only one to express their shock, though. Angela, too, found herself in a whirl of surprise. What she lest predicted was beginning to happen. Soul was turning against even her own comrades. His suit of armor, consisting of the usual black and white pin-striped suit he wore in the black room, protected him against their every defense as he turned against them, and began slashing their own lives away slowly, too, save for some that retreated to safety with Angela. One by one, they attempted to protect themselves, but he was in too deep already. His energy and power was more than they had expected.

Kid was more than amused by her reaction, though, despite the downside of the situation. Even in Soul's bout of madness, Shibusen seemed to have the upper hand for that temporary moment as Angela began to lose one comrade after another, standing before the few that had joined her out of the weapon's path. "Don't you see, Angela? Black blood knows no boundaries, no rules, and no limits… by unlocking the power of the black blood, you've unlocked a monster that'll do anything for his own satisfaction! You've put even your own self in danger now!"

Her eyes were wide. To her dismay, he was right. If she didn't do something now, she, too, would find herself on the losing end in a battle with Soul. She tainted him with a spell. She teased him with his emotions. She trained him with his inspiration. She tempted him with more souls than he needed, and though it successfully brought more power to him, now she would have to face him in the madness she brought about. Her original intent was to use him for her own good, encourage him to side with them in his thoughtless state, but the lesson was now that he would side with nobody but himself. The fear could be seen in her eyes, and Kid could do nothing more than laugh at her for an outcome she had never planned for.

"Anything, you say? Good…" The witch stepped out in front so the man could see her good and well, distracting him from injuring her own clan any further. In one hand, just between his thumb and index finger, was a lone witch soul dangling by the wiry tip, as though he were holding a single flame. In a single gulp, he consumed the soul he had just claimed, despite the fact he was already a Death Scythe. Little did anybody know that in his travel to this level of madness, he had actually given in to helping himself to a few extra souls in hope for a boost of power. It was apparent that the extra help had become handy. One extra in a momentary bout of insanity lead the desire for another… and another…

In a distracted halt, Soul made his way slowly towards Angela, until she stopped him by holding her palm out to him and spoke. They stood merely six feet from each other. He was hungry… hungry for more, and Angela's soul was beginning to look more delicious than any other.

"If its more power you want, Soul… I can give it to you… under one condition." Her palm changed to point at the crew of Shibusen veterans that stood behind him. "Defeat them… and I'll gladly let you consume as many of their souls as you want without getting in the way. In fact, you could take over Death's entire academy without Kid there, if you wanted… imagine it… a taste of a Shinigami's soul, and a whole campus to slave how you wish."

"Save the blue haired loud mouthed idiot of an assassin though… I want him to suffer by my terms. Everybody else is yours." She finished her proposition, waving her open palm to the remainder of Kid's crew. The woman held a sinister smile upon her face, knowing she had tempted him with a much larger reward, something any inane man would be more satisfied with. She knew the growing effects of power the spell, the souls of the kishins she had sent out as bait, though be it blind to everyone else that they were not geared for the students themselves, and the now single sacrifice of her own kind had upon him, and felt more than assured that he could overpower them easily.

"Soul… no… you're smarter than this… you're not the kind to give in to something like this!" Kid whispered to himself, with a high hope that his top Death Scythe would decline in a move of impatience to take the one that started it all in the first place, Angela, as she stood open and vulnerable to him. It would also allow the Shinigami to take advantage of Soul's preoccupied state and bring the man down for containment till they could find a cure for the spell that had overcome his logic. Certainly any man in his state would want things there and now instead…

-o-o-o-o-o-

As the battle commenced, Chrona immediately rushed to Kale's house. Running around to the back window where she knew his room to be, she knocked with great energy. Any harder, and his window would have broken! She was trying to regain her breath, when suddenly, a familiar voice popped up from behind. The girl knew for sure he would be home, but somehow, his greeting… wasn't the kind and calm greeting she was accustomed to!

The tall geeky meister stood there, holding his defense with a rather dangerous looking katana in his hand. Heh… of course, even now he was still always quite underestimated. His knowledge in defense would take anybody by surprise in comparison to his nerdy appeal, especially since it was something he rarely shared. He never truly saw it worth it to brag about his abilities. "Who are you… and what do you want from me!?" he exclaimed rather sternly.

This reaction took the white haired girl by quite some surprise. It rather shouldn't have, though. With the changed events of time also came the changed relationships, even if circumstances would always lead to this day she knew of as close as it could. Chrona threw her hands in the air to indicate her lack of hostile intent. "…It's okay. It's me, Chrona! Your weapon partner!" She paused for a moment, realizing she was speaking words to someone who had never grown up to become her partner now. "Or… I was your partner, in another time that is!"

Kale merely laughed silently at her explanation and raised a single brow in inquiry. He'd never seen a time traveler before, nor experienced it, so how was he to know she was telling the truth? Even if she was, what use was it to meet with him now if they had no past together? "Prove it." Of course, a simple statement, no more words than were necessary, with a need of irrefutable logic. The stranger in front of him seemed to be racking her brain for solutions, wondering what sort of proof she could present in the lack of any physical evidence. However, just when she seemed almost hopeless to find anything, she rose up her hand, pointing a single finger up to indicate an idea.

"You're an experienced martial artist with the ability to work with swords, nun chucks, knives, chains, batleths, and even bamboo sticks efficiently, all of which you took under only one master, WHOM by the way, is female! Your favorite dish is your mother's own homemade chicken pot pie recipe, because it's inexpensive, the most filling and has more nutritious vegetables in it than most, more specifically, water chestnuts. Your favorite manga is Ragnarok because of the art style of it, which you've always wanted to learn how to draw. There are also three Star Wars figurines you received years ago from your grandmother and you hide them in the back of your closet because you're afraid that any, for some odd rare reason, guests will open them up, thus reducing the value of their mint condition. OH! And the reason you don't talk much is because when you were six, your feelings were hurt when were criticized frequently and harshly from your Aunt Beatrice that you would grow up to be painfully annoying if you continued your motor mouth."

After Chrona's observations of him, he couldn't help but to stare at her in shock and lower the weapon slowly. He found himself in a state of disbelief that the girl in front of him knew those minor details and reasoning. "Time travel…" he said, finally breaking the silence of the shock. "Why come back here then? What could you possibly get from me now if you obviously made a mistake that eliminated… my memories of you?"

The girl was more than willing to answer his question. The quicker he understood, the quicker she would be to resonating and travelling back to fulfill her goals. It was Kale, and Kale only, that she trusted with such a mission. With this motivation, she ran back through the story of her father's loss, the spell that lead to the downfall to insanity, and her new found solution.

For the most part, he listened in curiosity, but what caught his attention more was the trouble that Soul had fallen into, and the possibility that perhaps he'd received an opportunity to actually experience a bit of time travel. "I've travelled with you before, so maybe if I bring my mother here momentarily, she can do her part, and I can bring her back! No telling who we are or intentionally changing any history! We're just going to…. borrow… the demon slayer wavelength to save my dad!" Chrona finished, enthusiastically, as though she had just invented the internet itself.

"It's risky…" His gaze was serious, as it usually was in these sort of new circumstances.

"You've done it before though!

"And look at your situation now…" Kale retorted sarcastically, wary of everything.

"As long as we don't meddle with your parents, your existence is safe…"

"And how do we know we would still be compatible in resonation?"

Chrona sighed at his consistent questioning. Really, though, nothing less than this could be expected. He was definitely still the Kale she knew! Always questioning every risk before accepting a mission… "Well… because we've done it before, and very well! We were destined to be partners, and it's my fault its messed up now… Look…" The girl let out another sigh in desperation as pain could be seen in her gaze now. "Please… if anything, don't help me for me… help me for Soul… I…. I don't care about my death anymore, accidental or not… I just… I want to see him healthy… happy again!" Tears began to fill her eyes, but before they could actually fall down her cheek, she wiped them dry with her sleeve, determined to make a move rather wallow in her own sadness.

Kale had been defeated though. The sadness in her eyes were genuine as genuine could be… the irrefutable knowledge of what he told nobody… the boy couldn't help but to wonder just how, in the timeline that she claimed to be from, that this girl was able to extract that much trust from him. A small side of him still worried, but the opportunity to actually see into this girl's soul and hopefully witness proof of real time travel had grown on him.

"Alright, I'll try… but if anything of my household or family changes…"

Chrona knew Kale too well to understand that part of him would hold some doubt until he saw the truth for itself, that he still viewed this as a big chance. "I know, I know, you're not going to take that risk ever again and leave me do it by myself for ever and always!" she interfered with, unwilling to take the uneccessary words of punishment. Her stubbornness simply let the words go right through one ear and out the other. This time it was going to be different! No more failure!

–o-o-o-o-o-

Angela smiled in the most satisfaction, despite her loss of team members. The sacrifice was well worth it! After having seen Soul's seemingly increased power due to her spell's effects, chained events of inspiration to train even more, and further consumption of souls, he would certainly prove to be more than a match for them now.

Everyone came to a still silence, waiting for their close friend's decision. Some were seen dumbfounded, not wanting to think about having to face against him and the possible extremity of a solution it might arrive to, since no one carried the one thing that could help him. The silence was broken by Patty, who made an observation everyone had already realized, but few expressed. "That music…" The short blonde girl's expression was of astonishment. It was the most beautiful piano piece she had ever heard! She stood in awe and admiration, not even bothering to consider its source.

Tsubaki, Liz and Marie seemed just as curious as Patty stated. "Yeah… its… its beautiful! One I've never heard before!" Liz confirmed. "Somehow, I.. I can't stop… listening…" Her words stammered, unsure of what to say.

Kid grew baffled to their reactions. Normally they knew better and stayed more attentive than this! Of course, he could hear it as well, but somehow the sound didn't come out as beautiful to his own ears as they seemed to describe. Rather, it was a strangely twisted tune with a sense of madness that still somehow made a musical pattern. How could these girls interpret this as beautiful!? That's when it hit him… this tune wasn't directed to him at all… after a moment of observation, the answer was clear. The tune was made for every single one of their weapon partners. There was only one person that could have been capable of this… Soul!

"Liz! Patty! Don't listen to it! It's a trick!" His words were too late, though. By the time he spoke up in attempt to claim their attention again, the two girls had transformed back into their human forms and were steadily making their way by Soul's side. Marie was attempting to follow, but Stein was simply too obsessed with the chance to fight that she simply couldn't find the strength to escape his hold, so she merely stopped in her tracks, with no intent to assist to Kid and his crew. Rather, a blank look fell upon her face that told of the loss of motivation to continue.

Tsubaki's form also changed back to her human self and could be found standing among Soul, as well. Black Star tried to cry out for her to come back, but she, too, refused to listen to her meister. "Well, fine then!" he exclaimed, changing his pose to one of close quarter combat. "I'll have you know I'm just as strong without my weapon!"

Kid scoffed amusingly at his confident threat, knowing the blue haired man was more than right, but there was something about this that bothered him. "I don't understand… he shouldn't have been able to do that without resonating with someone who has Soul Detect… even if he is under the influence of black blood." Kid knew what this was. Soul had managed to pull off a single handed Soul Hack by himself, using his keyboard to take control all their weapon partners, the first step to overcoming them with ease, disarming them.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Kale and Chrona stood there, in attempt to relax so they could match their wavelength. She could sense his, but somehow, he seemed to be having some trouble. The weapon partner pondered on it, figuring he simply wasn't used to synchronizing with her anymore after the change in time's events. Of course, he had never seen her before now, and it was just like a fresh new partnership adjusting to each other. She could see the same strain in his closed eyes, the frustration in his expression.

"This won't be possible." Kale suggested immediately after giving his failed efforts a bit of analysis.

Chrona's expression twisted to that of confusion. They had done it before, in the previous time line, so why not now? "What do you mean? Maybe you're just not used to me right now! Or… maybe it changed your soul too!"

"No…"

The stern tone in his answer threw her off. "What do you mean? We can just try again!"

"No, that's not it… the problem is, I can't detect a soul to resonate with, or a wavelength from you for all that matters. More than likely because you're…" The student paused, not wanting to see the same pain in her eyes once he finished his sentence. Before he could continue though, she finished it for him, a sad tone ringing in her voice.

"Dead… Right… Tch… To think, I was dumb to think this was possible… Maybe it is hopeless after all… maybe I…" Now every possible ounce of doubt began to flow into her head.

Before she could complete her negative outlooks from the, yet again, failure, her supposed-to-be partner interrupted. "Maybe there's a way to do it without our resonation. I've often heard that with sacrifices come additional power. I'd think that your life is a large enough one to compensate."

Chrona sighed at his suggestion. Was it true? Could her sacrifice really have unlocked the limits that held her bound before? There was only one way to find out…


	20. Chapter 19 - Upon Unpolished Grounds

Chapter 19 – Upon Unpolished Grounds

Soul stood there with all the allies he needed to win against his own friends. What could they possibly do to him without their weapon partners? Now that he had gained their main source of battle advantage, Shibusen would soon be his. Deep down inside, the Soul that slept in the false content of giving all his stress, fear, worries to the demon he had so perceived as Maka, truly feared what was happening in the midst of the confusion and loss of control. Who knew that one little spell could cause so much mental havoc?

All he really desired was rest… rest from feeling the feeling of guilt and incompetence… rest from the sleepless nights of horrid dreams and visions… rest from dealing with the voices of his dead family, of which only he seemed to be able to hear… rest from the stress that everyday built up to in his choice to suppress the evidence. Now that he had it, though, everything was up to the insanity of the demon deep within him.

To top it off, however, the one thing, or person, that had the means of his rescue, Maka, was dead and gone a long time ago. Nobody in Shibusen had truly exemplified the same demon slayer wavelength necessary for this unexpected event. How it became so rare, nobody knew, but Kid and his team couldn't stand by and let Soul harm –or consume- any more innocent souls in his madness. The Shinigami preferred to simply knock him out or render his friend incapable of fighting any more, perhaps with the intent of containing him till something could be found or developed. If it came down to it, though, it was his job, his duty and his dedication to do what it took to ensure the safety of his students and Death City from Soul's seemingly incurable circumstance.

This determination didn't help that Soul had just confiscated his own weapons, Liz and Patty, though. His twin guns would now be turned against him. Soul silently chuckled maniacally, hanging his head low so the bangs of his white hair hung over his eyes. All could see the intentional and twisted smile upon his face just below the shadow. His arms hung low, a twin gun loosely in each hand, neither of which had control of themselves anymore. They were in the clutches of Soul. The same could be said for Tsubaki, whom remained silently by him. None of them had to say a word for Kid to know what was about to happen next.

Soul tossed behind the twin guns, assured he didn't need them. The Thompson sisters followed suit along with Tsubaki and Marie as they merely stood by Angela's side, watching the battle commence. Angela- and Soul- felt more than competent that he could do the job on his own. After all, he had just finished consuming two extra witch souls, of which seemed to allow him more ability than he had before. At this point, even in his own experience, the little demon, which was much more potent in effect thanks to the spell, knew more about how to use these than Soul did himself, else Soul would have never been capable of it at all in this moment.

Immediately, Soul lunged towards the Shinigami, who felt more lost in what to do than he expected. Sure, he was willing to do whatever it took, but risk his friend's and best weapon's life? Just before the man could reach a pliable distance, he felt an unexpected clash of metal with the scythe that was prepared so upon his arm. The blade remained much darker than usual still, of course, in the bout of the spell's heightening effects. The metal it had so clashed against was a random metal pipe that happened to be lying around, and unsuspectingly picked up by the doctor himself. The threats towards Kid was intervened by the man with a screw in his head as his threat rang on, yet not necessarily in his own intent to defend the Death God, but rather in his own interest of personal entertainment.

"Your fight with me hasn't ended… Soul!" Stein burst out in another event of laughter, but it was quickly stopped with Soul tossing him back in a violent kick. Stein's smile didn't cease though. This was what he craved for so long… a battle of madness. Holding a hand to his stomach where the impact of Soul's foot had landed, he stood back up, hunched over so his expression was hidden. Laughter was heard as he pulled his posture back up and flew back towards the crazed weapon.

More clashes. More metal against metal. The two men weaved about each other, dodging fists, feet and swings of metal objects. At any given time, either could be fatally hit, leaving them helpless to the other. It was merely a matter of who would land the first most effective blow. "Going to have to be faster than that, So-" he began, but his words were quickly blocked with another fall taken from the strength of Soul's black blood.

As the battle commenced, Kid walked towards Angela, a sense of spite in his gaze. "Angela!" he shouted, a warning of revenge in his tone. "This revenge wasn't necessary! Look at what you've stirred up… do you really think this will fix the animosity between our kind!?"

Angela laughed at his words. "Animosity? Is that what you call it? Or perhaps is it truth, instead? Truth that everything has been man kind's fault! Truth that I lost the only thing that mattered… the only thing that could have helped me… because of humans and Shinigami like you!"

"It couldn't be helped, Angela!" Kid cried out in answer to her words. "Why can't you understand that!? It should occur to you through common sense that any mortal being would defend themselves against threats to our lives…"

"Is that so? I thought you were about peace… equality… symmetry…" Kid couldn't grasp her logic. He gave her a questioning gaze to indicate a further explanation. "An eye for an eye, Kid… A sacrifice on one side without a sacrifice on the other simply doesn't balance out… I'm merely claiming mine from you at last… is that really so bad?" Angela laughed as she added a further commentary. "Oh yes… and worthy to note that I just gained more of your comrades through Soul alone as well!" It was simply too much pleasure, her grin wider than ever showing how pleased she grew in the domino effect. Her plan was working better than she thought it would!

This infuriated Kid to no end. Sacrifice? Is that was Soul's life meant, along with those that would follow? Just a consolidation for the loss of Mifune? Although he had to admit, in comparison, the two did pose as equal valuables to each. A man of ninety-nine souls verses a man with the power of a death scythe and black blood, not to mention the extra backup that had been gained through him. By now, words weren't worth it anymore. He simply had to do what it took to defeat her, regardless of the agreements that the two sides had made so long ago. Certainly Mabba would understand the simple concept of defense against those that broke the contract.

Kid was nearly ready to leap for Angela when Black Star's loud mouth interrupted, blue spikey hair blocking the view. "No! Leave this to me, Kid… it's me she has a problem with. Tsubaki and I were the ones to claim his soul, so it's up to me to stand for the reasoning!" It was a fair enough claim, but Black Star was truly in no position to face a witch without his prized weapon, or without any weapon at all for that matter! For this, he couldn't let the assassin's pride and stubborn ways win.

"No, Black Star! You're not equipped to face this, and I can't afford losing you too!"

Another one of his stubborn rants about being impervious to defeat… "What are you talking about I can do anyth—"

"NO!" Kid interrupted. His Shinigami aura could be felt in all the fury of the rebellion. Black Star didn't want to admit the truth to Kid's word, but now Kid meant real business, the most he had shown for years now. Kid gazed back at the two crazed men that stood before each other in their battle. Stein was well capable of killing even Soul in his madness if he pursued it enough, and Kid was determined not to let all this effort go to waste. Shifting his serious gaze back to Black Star, he continued his instruction. "Make sure he doesn't kill him… You're the only one that can prevent that right now."

Somewhere deep down inside, Kid began to regret bailing Stein out of Jail, but at the same time, it seemed to prove a worthy and equal enough level to keep Soul occupied. The hopes were that Soul just might tire out, though at this point, it looked about impossible. Perhaps with Black Star in the mix, their chances of success might increase…

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Okay, I can do this! I think… maybe…" The girl's words stood for both the hopes and insecurities that such a feat was even possible. Even more astonishing was how a human with no seemingly existing soul was even alive right now, but that was a mystery that could be solved later. Chrona shot a look of concern to the tall student who was once her meister. All he knew to do was shrug his shoulders in response. Kale wanted to do more, but what could he do when he had no memory of her, or for that, couldn't even connect in resonance?

"Just in case this fails… I want you to know that you were an excellent partner to me… and I'd do anything it took to put things back the way they were!" Her eyes kept tempting to swell with tears, but she would only wipe them away immediately. This was no time to lose control of her emotions! She received a quiet nod in response, although if the girl was interpreting right, it was more so a notion of respect and a passive way of wishing her the best confidence in her attempts.

Closing her eyes, she began to fall back into the pattern the two would go as though they were travelling together. For a moment, she grew anxious to see those jolly days of the past years. However, as exciting as it was to think of exploring the unknown days of the past, to waste any time like they had before would merely prove to be selfish. That sort of enjoyment could be saved for later, when her father didn't have to suffer anymore. The vision went dark though, something that was new.

The overwhelming pull of time began as she gasped in the discovery that the loss of her own life did, indeed, unlock the potentials such power had. No longer had she needed to resonate to use the abilities she had received. At this point, the same could be said in bringing along any travelers. Howe she knew, she didn't know, but there was no denying the limitless options. Her mind began to drift deeply. This mission, as much of a risk that it was in the case a mistake was made and this wasn't the answer, was possible after all! Chrona fell into deep thought on this, but hearing the word "mission" in her mind snapped her back into reality of her current actions.

Aside from her focus on her thoughts, the feeling came back to her again… the feeling of the years passing by her, only in the opposite direction that they normally do for any other being. Something was at dismay, though… the sensation perhaps? No, that was all the same. Something greater than that, something different than when she travelled with Kale, or more so the lack of it. Numbers?

Chrona could only mentally gasp to herself when the weapon at last realized what was missing… numbers, images, the visual control… It wasn't there; it wasn't there to guide her in her secluded being! The white haired teenager tried her best to assess the amount of travel time that had passed verses what was spent in the company of Kale, and compare it to where they had landed before, but she had already lost track of how much passed.

Oh how she beat herself up in her mind for letting such an essential element become so disregarded! The next best solution: perhaps just a few seconds more as a safety margin. Better safe than sorry, right? Surely, this would land her somewhere in the vicinity of time that she had gone back to. In a halting, but difficult stop, she ceased the trip. The slowdown leading to the initial pause seemed more challenging to pull on her own, as she was much more accustomed to having a faithful partner to contribute. That's when her vision began to come back to her.

A gaze at the watch that Kale had so generously given to her, despite that it had been one of the most expensive items he owned told her the time that she had just fallen into. Chrona gazed upwards, her jaw dropping in astonishment and a gasp in her breath. Somehow she had managed to land herself in the usual life of Shibusen, or so what it was before her own birth, or for that matter, before Soul and Maka had even married! A worried look came over the girl's face. Were her parents even together right now? And if not, how was she going to explain herself?!

Standing up to brush a bit of dust off her black pants, the girl straightened back up to gawk at the grand academy once more. Even though she had seen it once, it still amazed her to witness the school before Kid's peaceful reign! "This isn't the time, Chrona! You've got a mission to do!" A friendly reminder to herself to stop her own gawking. "The demon slayer wavelength… Maka… Maka Albarn… that's what, or who I need!" Throwing her fists down in determination and raising her head for awareness, the time traveler began to walk confidently into Shibusen, blending herself into the growing crowd of students that enveloped the front court yard before the school's grand entrance.


	21. Chapter 20 - The Truth Unfolded

Chapter 20 – The Truth Unfolded

Year: 2012

The time obviously fell between courses. It was suddenly much lighter outside too! Apparently Chrona had now been graced with the ability to travel by details of hours, minutes now. Out of sheer curiosity- and a need to be aware of when it was- the girl glanced down at her watch, or rather the one that Kale had lent to her. Hmm… 10:15 am… definitely not the time it was when she left! There was at least a noticeable daylight difference in comparison.

It was odd, a lonely feeling almost, though. The lone traveler now seemed to contain a feeling of distant solitude, surrounded by students that were obviously younger versions of some of the staff she knew in her own time. Even though they surrounded her like a New York stock exchange, taking up any bits of space in the hallway they could to reach their classroom hallways or their buddies, she still felt alone.

Perhaps it was because she was not accustomed to travelling by herself… or perhaps even because she knew she didn't belong in this time line- of which she didn't even mean to travel so far back into. The original intent was to exchange to a time just before she last saw her parents together, but alas, here she was eight years behind her plans. So much for knowing how to control it by herself, even in her state of nonexistence!

Still, the young death scythe browsed the halls of Shibusen, her eyes grazing to find a familiar face, and even more, the one – or two if they were together- face that she needed the most. The difference of the halls themselves didn't even matter so much, since she had seen them once already. The only intended goal on the girl's mind was to find the one individual who could fix the things she hadn't already messed up, or rather Maka to say specifically.

As Chrona continued to dash about corner after corner, scanning the busy hallways, she still wondered why her mother's demon-slayer wavelength had to be so rare! If it hadn't been, the situation of her father's spell-enticed insanity could have been resolved so much easier! All set aside, though, it was also made her well aware that this particular case also gave her an excuse and chance to see the mother she knew so little about. Somehow they made it through the years together, just she and her father, but growing up without her mother's existence still grew painful to both her and Soul. The girl could remember every moment that grew her envy of other's abilities to talk to, or even see, their mothers.

"Okay, Chrona! Stop thinking!" the girl said to herself, slapping her hand up to her face as a wakeup call from the never ending deep thoughts. These could come later, but for now, she had a mission! Lavender eyes continued to scan the long stretches and crooks of the halls as quick as they could, comparing each face and head top she could to the image of the messy white hair or pigtails she sought. The search seemed to continue for minutes, of which felt like hours, no thanks to the anxiety that was slowly, but surely building. To some, she even began to look suspicious or lost maybe, but none stopped to ask a single question or were in the vicinity to do so if they had been willing.

Jumping up to bypass the height of a crowd, something familiar caught her eyes and ears. A phrase spoken by a well-known male voice which seemed to state that something wasn't cool. Then the sight of bobbing pigtails. Ash-blonde pigtails. A gleeful expression came to Chrona's face, a wide smile exemplifying the satisfaction in the first step of her plan, to locate Maka. Now it was time to approach her! An instinctive sense of urgency took over as she began to make her way where Maka stood, accidently brushing against some shoulders along the way. Just as she was about to come close enough to audibly grab her young mother's attention, Chrona bumped into an unexpected individual, stumbling backwards to the ground in the surprise with enough time to catch herself and her belongings.

"In a hurry?" the grown man's voice asked. Wait, what was that… clicking sound though? The student's eyes rose slowly from the black of his shoes to the silver hair atop his head. It was him… The lab coat with the awkward stitches patching it together. The thick glasses that always seemed clean enough to reflect anything in the sunlight. And the most memorable feature about him, the screw that stuck right through his head. The man that was most notorious, and yet famous at the same time, for his ever growing insanity. Only now, he actually stood before her rather than sitting locked up in a loony bin. Stories had been passed and heard, but never had Chrona actually stood before him in such freedom.

Hesitating a bit, Chrona attempted to move aside from the tall man. "I ah… just… gotta get… to ahhhh… class… heh…" Her attempts to shove around him didn't work, though. Instead, he only continued to stay in front of her, holding a smile suitable for a mad man. No wonder Stein had ended up where he was, or at least in her time! What sane man in his right mind would intentionally prevent a student from making it to class in time, all while holding a content smile of… something unpredictably scary?

He took a hand behind her back and turned her around to walk alongside him, nudging her against her will to accompany him. "I would like your assistance with something, please… I'll make sure you're excused from class." His smile was still plastered upon his face as he nudged his glasses up with his other index finger, reflecting the gleam of the hall lights above. Other students cleared his way in confusion of fright and respect. The anxious student being lead on tried to turn around, glancing back into the crowd where Maka had been spotted, but it was too late. Maka disappeared, and there was no telling which class she would be in… or perhaps… Chrona knew good and well this was a risk, but so was trying to pursue Maka in such large vicinity, so she simply went along, keeping her guards up, still.

As they trailed through the clearing halls, Stein lead her into what seemed to be a personal laboratory. There were multiple solid wood un-glossed shelves lined along the wall of the entrance foyer way for what seemed could be a built-in book shelf. What sat on them were certainly not books though! Unidentifiable specimens, jarred and in multiple colored liquids, sets of needles, scalpels, prods, test tubes and various experimental inventory and subjects, some of which still had fresh mysterious liquid residue lingering. As Chrona reluctantly gazed at each, one of the unidentifiable creatures floating in the mystery liquid budged. Jumping slightly at the unexpected movement, she let out a startled gasp. These… things… weren't dead!?

In the background of her racing heart, she could hear Stein lightly chuckling to himself. It was as though he'd grown used to having the extreme image of a crazed scientist, finding humor in other's reactions to his proud display of unknowns. "Oh, they can't hurt you I assure." Even with what he described as comforting words, Chrona began to wonder what his notorious personal lab looked like if this was what he kept at school!

They passed the foyer hall at last after her intriguing staring session at his experimental subjects for proud display and entered the larger portion. Within was a large experimenting area with many venues and work spaces. One caught her eye in particular, though. A table just to her left, apparently new as the cold metal it was made of shined and gleamed from a round, dangling spotlight that hung just above it. What was scarier about it was the fact that it was shaped just well enough for a body to lay on it, containing leather cuffs at just the right spots fit to contain nearly any size of a human. The very thought of what he planned on doing with this sent a shudder down the girl's spine. Thoughts creeped into hear head wondering just what Stein had done to lead him into where she knew him to be in her days, though she dared not ask.

Just before her wonders could go any further, though, the professor broke the eerie silence. "I don't think I've ever seen you before." Stein began, with an inquisitive expression. He now sat on a short, leather bound round swivel chair containing four convenient wheels to maneuver it about with ease between one experiment and another. The man motioned with a hand gesture to sit along with him on another nearby.

She laughed slightly, tugging at her collar to let in a bit of air so the sweat beginning about her neck could dry. She even began to wonder if it was even safe to accept the invitation anymore, even for the sake of her goals. Sitting at a distance, she attempted to explain herself in a way that might satisfy the doctor. "I'm ah… new here. That's probably why…" Whether the crazed professor was buying it or not, the young girl wasn't sure of. He seemed to hold a non-stop intrigued gaze, despite the vague reasoning she had given him. Technically, time-wise, it was true though!

Stein motioned for her to come closer with a more demanding expression when he noticed she had not fully accepted his insistence. "Your hand…" he began. The girl grew confused at the command, as she gazed down at it. Was something wrong with it? Stein continued on when she refused to obey. "Give it here for a moment, if you don't mind."

Bewildered at his awkward request, she held her hands close to her torso in protection. There was no way she was going to become a subject of his deranged experimentation, or even a residence in another jar of liquid! Her resistance, too, was ineffective, though, as Stein only swiveled towards her quick enough to take it into his own forcefully. The next thing she felt was a scalpel slice across her index finger. In the girl's attempt to tug out of his grip, Stein had managed to collect a minor sample of the fresh crimson blood that oozed out.

"What do you think you're doing!?" she exclaimed, yanking the band aid the professor was now offering to her silently. Deep down inside, she was also fretting that he had gained the evidence he needed to eventually discover the identity of her DNA.

Despite her fury, he continued on anyway, with a rather shocking question. "A rather fascinating ability, I must say. I always knew it had to exist somewhere, and now here I have proof right in front of me. So… tell me what year you're really from." The curiosity now shifted into an insistent determination as his smile faded into something more serious.

"I… How did you…." The girl stammered in surprise. His immediate guess, or observation, made it difficult for her to find the right words anymore.

"Next time you consider taking a trip into time, you should consider your image to the surroundings. The evidence is pretty clear. The uniform you're wearing, though it's similar to the ones we use now." The girl darted her eyes about nervously as his observations only began to hit the spot. He only continued, though. "It has a… different touch to it, perhaps a more modest one. Additionally, the skull brooch you're wearing atop your shirt. It's not that of Lord Death's. Rather, it's one fashioned in the design I've been watching Kidd create."

Chrona's face flushed a bright crimson as she slowly began to realize her mistakes as they were pointed out to her. She could think of nothing to say in response. Even if she did muster up any words, the lies would easily be seen through. There was no fooling this man. He was simply too observant, and she was the worst at lying the world could ever witness.

"It is Soul you're looking for, right?"

Chrona shyed away slightly, aware of what her next answer might reveal. It was everything or nothing now! Stein was already onto her now, so what difference would presenting a direct request bring? "No… actually… I came in search for Maka Albarn…"

This observation perked Stein's interest even more. It amused him to no end as his grin widened even more, as though he were a child that just learned how to get into the cookie jar. This young girl that travelled from the future just to see Maka… a coincidence indeed!

Now the professor was leaned in even closer, anticipating the good story to come. Somehow, he held a more serious look now, though. The growing numbers of possibilities brewed trouble in his mind. With the same plastered grin, he answered her request. "And for what purpose?"

Giving into his inquiry, she at last revealed her story of her father's growing insanity and the spell that had enticed it so. Measures were drastic enough to call it at all or nothing. Besides, even if her attempt failed, it wouldn't change history for what it was and she could just as easily go back to her present- that is if she were even destined to be born at all anymore. The lying just had to stop. The secrecy, the attempts to conceal it all was becoming futile in her goals, save for perhaps the approaches to her own parents.

His expression ceased to change throughout the whole bizarre story, though, keeping the same suspicious smile as he paid attention to her every detail. Completely opposite of what she expected, in fact. After jotting some notes on an old ragged piece of paper, the teacher stood once again, his height overpowering their ability to see eye to eye evenly. "You're free to go, then…" Dropping the paper into her lap, he proceeded to walk to a counter and fiddle with an instrument that lay atop it. The last sign of communication she saw from him was the motion of his hand to exit.

With this, Chrona scurried out as quickly as she could. The doctor had taken up much precious time. On any other given day when all was well, perhaps the invitation to explore more of his dementia might have become slightly intriguing, despite how scary it was. However, she had a father to save. Out the door it was. Glancing upon the hand out, what shocked her more was just how willing he seemed to help in return of her honesty… a schedule… Maka's schedule… Perhaps this crumpled paper he had awarded her was more worth the intense experience he had just pulled her through after all!

-o-o-o-o-o-

Diligence was always her style, especially in studies. There was nothing more satisfying than knowing she had covered every single basis of her education. Okay, well maybe except for picturing the image that she succeeded in turning her weapon partner into a death scythe. That was her second greatest goal. Now it was simply a matter of unlocking their full potential as Spartoi members.

Suddenly the dreaming of her success was interrupted by the ring of the school bell. The pig tailed girl gasped to herself. Had she really just spent the last ten minutes day dreaming!? Gathering her books quickly, Maka fell into a fret. "Soul, why didn't you tell me class was almost over!? I told you I had a lot of reading to do!" Falling behind was no joke to the young nerd!

Nothing more than a blank stare was given in return. "Didn't think it was that important…" Oh, those sleepy eyes again, accompanied with an absent shrug. She humphed, grabbing the boy's wrist and yanking him out of his seat and towards the door. "H-hey! What're you doing!?"

"Well, Mr. Sleeping-In-Class, unlike you, I actually care about making it on time to things…"

"Oh C'mon Maka… it'll be just fine! They know we're hard workers…"

With a roll in her eyes, everybody could tell that Maka was undoubtedly bound to Maka-chop her own partner anytime soon if he added anymore commentary. People scattered from her path in hopes to steer clear from the dictionary-sized book that her hand was itching to reach for inside her pack. "Say's the boy who has to borrow my notes every night just to pass…"

Before the partners could gain any coverage within the hallway, though, the duo unexpected ran into another girl who seemed to fail in the same observations.

"O-oh, I'm so sorry! We'll move out of your way… right Soul!?" The meister shot a glare towards her weapon. Maka's anger was not one to cease so easily. Unfortunately, her partner was the one that suffered the most of it, seeing as their shared living quarters and extensive time they spent together. Her rant was interrupted by the mysterious girl's wavering voice, though.

"Actually I…" she began, almost losing her composure at the sight of them.

Maka could only stare back in attempt to read what was going on in her mind. Strange, they had never seen this student around before. Perhaps she was new? With this consideration, Maka lightened up, remembering what it was like on her first day. Loosening the grip on her partner's, as Soul could now be seen rubbing at it with his other hand in relief, she paused to let the new girl continue speaking.

Chrona's face contorted from that of uncertainty to determination. It gained a rather worried look from Soul himself. The look was entirely too familiar for comfort, almost as though it were Maka all over again, except she didn't look like her… much. "I came here because I need your help, Maka Albarn!"

Maka sighed, but threw on an encouraging smile. "Look, I know you're new and all, but you really should find your own technique of becoming or creating a death scythe instead of trying to copy me…" Too many had asked the duo this in their sudden gain of popularity, so it became a natural assumption, more often correct than wrong. By now it was a routine conversation.

"No! It's something much more than that! I'm already—I mean… I already know how to become a death scythe… I don't need help with that." No, especially since she was already one. But why focus on the minor detail anymore? Chrona glanced in concern towards Maka's weapon partner just before letting out a sad sigh. "Actually it's someone else that needs help… I'm the only one that can tell you, and you're the only one that can do it." Chrona hung her head low, as to not catch another accidental glance at her future father. It hurt too much to even begin the comparison of how well he felt now from how he fared at home. "Can I… talk to you alone?"

"Maka…" The low cautious male voice began. Something about this strange girl just had Soul thrown off. His meister too seemed to notice something odd about the student in front of them, something that bothered her… the girl's soul, or lack of one more so… The girl appealed harmless enough, though, and her emotions were genuine enough that it didn't reflect any dishonesty.

Interrupting Soul's thoughts, Maka nodded that it would be okay. "Don't worry Soul… it'll be alright. Just meet me in our next class, okay?" Throwing on a smile, the ash blonde girl threw her hand in the air in confirmation. In turn, all she simply received was a shrug from the white haired boy and his dismissal from the two.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Two students sat on a bench in a lone area. The silence around them droned on as though a death had just occurred in front of their own eyes. A pair of lavender eyes met the emerald ones beside her, but as soon as the contact was made, Chrona broke the gaze. How was she supposed to say it? Would Maka even agree to go with her, or would she simply laugh at her and accuse her words to be a mere story? With a sigh in her breath, the silence had drawn on too long. However, Maka broke the bout of silence before her unbeknownst daughter could.

"So… what was it you wanted to talk to me about, uhhh…" Maka begun, glancing about the girl's uniform trying to catch a hint of her name. Clearing her throat, she rephrased the beginning of their personal conversation. "I'm sorry, we haven't even introduced ourselves properly. I'm Maka! Maka Albarn!" She stuck out her hand in greeting to the stranger.

Chrona accepted the handshake shyly, still afraid of the reaction her next words could present. "Ehhh y-yeah… I'm Chr… Christine." The white haired girl began to slap herself mentally. What a terrible lie! Surely Maka could see right through it, could tell that she was hiding something, even if not in the hesitation in her voice.

"Christine, huh? That's a pretty name. So what was it you wanted to ask me?"

Chrona merely smiled shyly in return. Something about being in the presence of her mom brought a nerve to her that she simply didn't want to mess anything up or do anything to hurt the couple. Her thoughts began to dwell on the possibility of backing out, finding alternate methods. Picturing the two together was like picturing two peas in a pod… perfectly suited and balanced. One was a book worm, the other… oh yeah… the other… Soul… Here was the answer to her dad's problem, and all the young girl could do was think of how to help them as they were currently? Perking back up, Chrona had to finish her mission to the end.

"It's Soul… I didn't want him to find out, but he's in trouble, M-maka!" Chrona stated, taking a hold of Maka's trendy white trench coat and pulling her close. Her eyes expressed pain into Maka's confused ones. Furthermore, almost calling her mother, too. Again with the troubled skills in the lying department! It just wasn't going to work out this way. One way or another, things were going to spill, so Chrona decided to let loose on the truth as it was.

Letting loose of Maka's coat, Chrona sat back in her personal bubble again, supporting her torso off the bench with her hands as she leaned forward so her expression couldn't be seen and her hair covered her tearing eyes. "Listen… you might believe me, you might not… but I'm from the future. My dad, Soul… he's been cursed by the witch, Angela… a curse that draws him further to madness as his emotions crumble more and now his black blood has taken a toll! So strongly he even did this to me… even though it wasn't really him… it was all my fault, for putting so much stress on him… for asking about the past… for everything!" After the bold statement, the young girl violently lifted a sleeve of her arm to reveal the remaining bit of the nasty bruise still left from Soul's enraged grip.

Stopping to look up at Maka's reaction revealed a look of shock, almost as though she were whispering Soul's name into the air, but she continued on anyway. It was now or never. "Anyway… everyone's tried to calm him down, make him feel better, but the one and only thing that can help him out the stupid curse is gone… your demon-slayer wavelength… not even I inherited that one." Sad eyes shifted down to the ground.

"Soul…" Maka stuttered in shock. The girl sat in astonishment to the confession before she could speak again, as though she could feel her partner's pain all the way from the future. "That explains why you have no soul then." Even though that wasn't necessarily the correct explanation, Chrona simply let it slide. "Christine… I… I don't know what I can do. I'm sure you know I'm no time traveler if what you say about being from the future is true… if Soul's truly gone that mad… I doubt that resonation would work over a time warp, or whatever you used to come here."

"You won't have to…" Maka stopped in midst of her thoughts to glance back into Chrona's eyes as the girl answered Maka's concerns. "If it works out as I think it will, you'll come with me, instead."


	22. Chapter 21 - Hungry For More

Chapter 21 – Hungry For More

January 25, 2035 – Warehouse Battle

Icy eyes stared into crazed ones as the bodies that accompanied them continued to dual with what seemed an endless amount of energy. Neither showed any sign of exertion. Between the two occasionally was a blue haired ninja, desperate to prevent the death of either or. What put the odds against those who hadn't gone mad already was the fact that Soul now had control to access any of their weapon partners he wanted, rendering the meisters officially weaponless, save for any debris they could locate within convenience.

'_Kid, you idiot! We shoulda' never let the doc free! These men are crazy enough to kill each other right now… and my weapon… I'll save you from his control somehow, Tsubaki…_'

Despite all the concern in the world, nothing was going to stop these two from battling to the death. It was a desire that rested deep within both their hearts from their source of insanity just to see whose was most overpowering. It was his highest wishes to see everybody come clean from this unexpected incident, but knowing there was no way to curb the curse that had taken over dimmed some of the hope that he was willing himself the best to hold onto.

Where there were once several witches to face, just a few had remained by Angela's side, afraid to interject, lest their soul be consumed, too. Their leader's goals and speech had once sounded grand, but once the true effects of the black blood were seen at the loss of the few of their comrades, some began to lose doubt that he could truly be controlled. Even less assuring, there was nothing that could stop the dreadful curse now.

A clash of the two mad men landed Stein on his back. At last one of them began to wear out from the consistent inertia. The weapon he carried, a random metal pipe now bent around from the constant contact with Soul's solid black blade, was at last tossed in the distance, worn from the abusive strength of the blood.

The standing weapon's arm was no longer in the form of his scythe. Rather, now it held a familiar weapon, namely by the name of Marie. A cackle formed from the doctor below him on the floor. Of course, no change of response from Soul back, save for the smile that never ceased. Slamming Marie's weapon form downwards, it was Soul's very intent to break every bone in Stein's body and smash him till he could no longer function.

It did not fall into contact with his aimed target, though. Rather, a loud "pang" could be heard echoing throughout the entire building, causing every innocent individual not out of their mind to clasp their hands to their ears immediately.

"Damn, Soul, you're stronger than I thought you would be…" a voice cracked painfully from its owner just beside the weapon's landing point. No, this wasn't Stein speaking… What was just Soul's target was now thrown into a deep corner. Instead it was the assassin… the blue haired annoying assassin that wouldn't get out of the way! Judging from his position on the floor, leg jutted out inches away from being hit, the sneaky instructor had just kicked the crazed professor out from under the dropping Marie in her solid weapon form.

"How dare you!" Soul finally spoke, irritated that his plans for annihilating his enemies one by one wasn't working. His ruby red eyes widened and smile contorted to a frown in irritation to this unwanted interruption. Just one more millisecond and that dratted threat of a professor would have been smashed dead with his own weapon! It was clear Black Star just wouldn't leave them alone, so he swung Marie low, again at a force that only anger could convey - and maybe some help from black blood. Rather than finding another clang though, it came in contact…. into Black Star's pained grip.

The collision could definitely be noted as effective, as seen on the fighting look on the assassin. Still, he fought through the unexpected pain and shined a smile that reflected nothing more than satisfaction. "You dare to think that you can defeat me!? Ha ha ha! Maybe this is a little more fun than I thought it was!"

The rivalry had just received a new member. Stein, he was a target because it was a battle that was long sought, whether known consciously or sub consciously. Black Star, on the other hand, became a target simply because he had to be eliminated, else he'd only continue getting in the way.

No matter though. Soul grinned madly to himself. This was going to be a challenge much better than those pitiful witches that frightened at their first loss. Too bad Angela had a poor availability, since most of the elder more powerful witches knew better than to revolt. Two of their additional souls to Arachne's were more than enough to gain the power to end them once this was over, though. The determination of these two human meisters, though, proved much more satisfactory, as though it were a game, especially considering the kinship Soul held with them.

Black Star and Stein stood in ready motion, each on opposing sides of Soul, both left and right. The two meisters nodded to each other, indicating their willingness to work together at last and stanced to begin their composed dual attacks. Upon each their own wills, it simply wasn't working, wasn't coordinating to their advantage.

The look in the doctor's expression shown acceptance that this was no longer about his personal vendetta. Something woke up within him after being saved by the loud mouth assassin, that perhaps his help wouldn't be so bad after all… that is as long as he got the last hit and killing strike in the end.

Oppositely, Black Star knew the doctor's intents, but was aware of his own well enough to know the limits. 'Make sure he doesn't kill him…' That was the mission! And though Stein had quite the goals to do so, for once, his team mate would remain quiet about the reasons for his intervention, else Stein might have been just as liable to go after him too! A little hidden inspiration wouldn't hurt…

After their initial nod, both shot towards each side of the white haired mad man between them, hoping that one or the other would catch an unguarded portion. Now Soul had two coming his way, but this was no problem. As each flew from each side, a wide grin wide enough to expose nearly every bit of his jagged teeth fell upon the mad man's face, revealing the intent to kill.

Tossing Marie back into his less dominant hand, the other now formed his blade to wield Soul with two weapons: Marie on the left and his weapon form upon the right. The blade developed to appear an appropriately solid black form, considering his tainted status. Just as the two attacking men came into his reach on time, he swiped at both of them, causing them to give way in opposite directions in dodging.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Chrona sighed in relief. The trip back to her own time, much less even convincing Maka to chance tagging along, was quite worrisome. In fact, the only reason Maka had ever considered taking the chances in the beginning was the mention of her very own partner, close as he was to her, falling into the trouble the girl had claimed him to be in. Her emotions and words were knowledgeable and convincing enough for the past student's mind to be swayed.

Despite the success of their journey back to the future, or Chrona's once-was future, Maka knelt down, leaning her weight upon her knees with her downwards palms. Being the first time she had ever experienced something as exotic as a real trip into time, the energy of it all took quite a bit of breath out of her. The feeling of her mind being dragged forward to unfamiliar moments brought her nearly afraid to breath during it all. "So… what year is it, then, Christina?"

The white haired girl blushed at being addressed with such a name. She knew it wasn't really her name. It was in actuality just a white lie performed in hopes of covering even a small bit of her unmistakable identity. What was most shocking was that her mother hadn't even suspected that this girl was potentially her daughter. The only mention of relation by blood was Soul, leaving it up to Maka to figure the rest out – if she did and if Chrona could help its prevention. It wasn't like they really shared much physical similarity, save for their height and a straight pair of teeth. The remainder of her inherited characteristics brought her to appeal as though she were a near identical female version of Soul.

"Oh uh…" stated the blushing girl. Lying truly wasn't her department, but she had to make things work, even if it meant being called differently. She paused to glance at the technical watch once given to her by her meister, or who was once previously before her entire existence got screwed up. "It's ah… January 25, 2035." A successful trip back to the present! Somehow, the trip back was always the easiest. Further, though how that watch stayed in tune with the time she rested in currently was a mystery.

Maka gawked at the answer. "W-w-what!? 2035!?" In response was a quiet nod. The meister could only sigh, a hint of desperation from the awkward misplacement in time. Her face grew serious once again, though. She wasn't here to admire… she was here to save her weapon partner! "So… Soul… where is he?"

"Oh I…" Another blush in the midst of attempting a valid reason to her lack of knowledge. "To be honest, I don't know where my dad went to... He disappeared a few days ago and… and some of the staff went after him! But-I-had-to-make-sure-you-could-be-here-first-and -was-going-to-ask- " Chrona's sped up speech was hushed as Maka interrupted, showing no signs of disappointment.

"It's okay, Christina…" Placing a hand upon the young girl's shoulder, she spoke a reassuring answer that revealed yet more of her mother's amazement. I'll just use my Soul Perception. It'll just take a little more than I'm used to, since I don't have Soul's piano to use."

Chrona gawked in astonishment, though the latter half of it confused her slightly. Soul's piano? What did that have to do with Soul Perception? She could only wonder for now, so she set it aside for more important issues. Answers could come later when all was well. That is IF they got well… "So you can…"

"Of course! Soul… well, your father that is… never told you?"

"N-no… I never heard much about my…" A slight pause in thought of how to save a slip up coming on. "…my father's meister…" From the looks of it, Maka didn't seem to catch on, buying the change of title, still it being true. "What do you mean by his Pian-"

"Hold up. I've almost got it…" Gazing back at Maka revealed a woman in determination. Her eyes were closed, and right gloved hand rose slightly with a forward palm, as if to guide the direction she were searching. Anticipation built as her expressions to her findings so far struck her oddly. Of course, these were souls she had never seen before, for the most part, or those that have matured by this time frame.

Minutes felt like hours in the emotional mess of desperation for an answer until it was at last broken with Maka's absolute assurance. "Got it!" A sad sigh left her lips, leaving no amusement. Her eyes shifted to the look of serious concern, wide open in the mindset of salvaging her partner's sanity. "You're right… he's fallen pretty deep, but I think I can still save him…"

Chrona gasped at this astonishing skill. In just minutes her mother had managed to locate him, without having to find any clues! "Dad…" the girl whispered desperately, nearly ready to cry again. Hopefully this last spare option, risky as it was, would be the answer to bring him back from that dreaded spell!

"Soul… we're coming for you!"

Wiping the threatening tears away, Chrona stood ready to follow Maka where ever she led her to. Together, the two rushed towards what would be a most shocking scene to witness.

-o-o-o-o-o-

As the battle between the two energetic meisters and scythe commenced, the larger team could feel themselves wearing out. Soul's energy seemed endless. Of course, perhaps it should have been expected, since he had power coming from quite a few massive sources. As it continued on, Black Star and Stein found it less and less possible to come close.

In another attempt to catch him off guard, one would begin to fly towards the albino target, but somehow it seemed his use of sound waves had improved dramatically. Within meters away, whist of force would drive them away before they could make contact, refuting them what they needed to give just what they needed to claim the rights of defeat. If only they could get closer!

Angela interrupted Kid's witnessing of their fiasco with a statement to brag her newly created prized possession. "Having a bit of trouble, my dear Shibusen?"

The Death God wanted to respond with his own action, but fear took over that he just might accidentally injure his friend more than intended. Of course, then again, he had no weapon on him. Those had been confiscated by Soul, as well. Instead, he chose to stall a bit of time as he attempted to conjure up a plan that just might work without being the cause of any one instructor's death. Angela was not within reach, as she continued to reside within her bubble of protection. Every effort to penetrate it thus far had failed. It was obvious the witch had taken her time to perfect such a maneuver, considering that even a Death God couldn't break through so easily.

Unless… '_No_…' he thought to himself. '_By then, even my comrades will be dead from exhaustion at this rate_' Glancing towards the one lone student who seemed to hold no role, Kid couldn't help but to wonder if he should have brought a weapon for the amateur boy to use. At this point, everything he was witnessing seemed to offer no room for assistance. Even when he tried to jump in, another would simply push him back out.

"You're nothing but a coward, Angela! A coward who wants to hide while you make all your underdogs do all the work!"

She merely laughed at the accusation. "Why thank you! It's certainly effective, isn't it? After all, it's not who displays the most valor, Shinigami… it's who wins the war…" with her last statement, her auburn eyes narrowed, giving her smirk the touch of pure evil it had earned after years of unsuspecting deceit. The statement received nothing more than a grunt of irritation from her desiring opponent.

"Fine… if I can't take you out… I'll take out your tools. Then we'll see how you fare!" Angela's tool… unfortunately, this meant Soul. It was an undesirable option that was slowly but surely becoming more and more necessary. Turning around revealed a rather quick conclusion to the battle behind him. Kid winced at the scene, imagining the potential loss that could occur.

The doctor and assassin could now be seen rushing towards Soul with the most equivalent speed they could put out in hopes to beat out the possessed weapon's quick response. Just as they had, though, Soul took advantage of their momentum, barely moving out of the way. Now they could be seen clashing right into each other, full force, and their own attacks being taken out on each other rather than their shared target. Had the two hits actually collided with the proper person at the proper timing, they would have bought some time, but Soul was simply too quick and powerful in his deranged and accursed state.

Followed by the action was a maniacal laughter from the man, aware of the defeat he had just claimed as he watched his two attackers fly to opposite walls from where they came within that warehouse. Their bodies hit the thick iron walls with a powerful clash, leaving them to fall to the ground. A force like that would certainly leave injured organs and a good sized bruise about the vast of their body in due time… if they even woke up at all. He had them now… licking his lips hungrily, Soul knew what was next. He began to stride casually to where Black Star landed, but before he could reach even halfway there, he was halted by an arm thrust in his way.

"Don't even think about taking them…"

-o-o-o-o-o-


	23. Special Note

Readers,

I greatly apologize if I am unable to update for the next few weeks! Unfortunately, my computer just messed up, and I may have to invest in a new one as soon as I can. HOWEVER… I have not forgotten, nor will I ever forget to get back on track when the new computer arrives! I even lost my story notes in the process and the first two pages of the next chapter. =( Never fear, though, I WILL be BACK! =D Maybe sooner than you think, or so I shall hope.

As a friendly reminder of the last story plot details (BEWARE… spoilers for new readers, turn back NOW if you do not want this!), for those that might accidentally forget some of the details in the long haul of the potential passing time to come (le' sigh…):

Chrona and Maka have arrived back to the Chrona's present… Yes, Chrona is, in the current time line, still technically dead/soul-less due to her past time changing mistakes. Soul has nearly sent Stein and Black Star into a total defeat and has attempted to kill them off in their unconciencness (I can NEVER spell that word right!) to consume their souls, but somebody has stopped (not gonna say who) him in his path and threatened a battle with them in exchange instead. BTW, Chrona has told Maka that Soul is her father, but hasn't told her that she is her mother. Aaaaaaand… Angela's still sitting on the side, letting Soul, in his state of powerful spell-induced madness, do the work for her, since he's managed to kill 2 extra witches and consume their souls as well on top of the original that made him into a Deathscythe.


End file.
